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USF Voter List Updated

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By LAURA KINSLER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 13, 2008

USF CAMPUS - More than 600 students were removed from the "active voter" list in 2007, dropping voter registration on the University of South Florida campus from more than 1,000 to just over 400 for last month's presidential primary.
Chuck Smith of the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office said the office updates voter lists every odd-numbered year. If a registered voter hasn't participated in the previous four election cycles, the supervisor's office mails a postcard to the voter notifying him that he may be placed on an "inactive" list.

Any voter whose notice is returned by the post office automatically goes on the inactive list. Since most USF students live on campus for just a year, the bulk of those notices would have been returned to the supervisor's office, Smith said.

But the voters are not purged, Smith said. They just aren't counted in the number of registered voters for the precinct.

"Those voters are still registered to vote," he said. "They could still vote at USF. If they vote, we move them back to the active list."

More than 4,500 students live on the USF campus. Only five voted in last year's municipal election. Fewer than 80 cast ballots in January's presidential primary. Many of the students are registered to vote elsewhere.

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 865-4844 or lkinsler@tampatrib.com.

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