Jeb Bush Listed Himself as ‘Hispanic’ on Voter Form

[Turner Coates]

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-d ... oter-form/

There is little doubt that Jeb Bush possesses strong credentials for appealing to Hispanic voters.

He speaks fluent Spanish. His wife, Columba, was born in Mexico. For two years in his 20s, he lived in Venezuela, immersing himself in the country’s culture. He was born in Texas and is a former governor of Florida, two states with large Hispanic populations.

But on one occasion, it appears, Mr. Bush may have become a bit carried away: He listed himself as Hispanic on a 2009 voter-registration application in Miami-Dade County.

A Bush spokeswoman said she had no explanation. But Mr. Bush went on Twitter on Monday to say:

My mistake! Don’t think I’ve fooled anyone! RT @JebBushJr LOL – come on dad, think you checked the wrong box #HonoraryLatino

— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) April 6, 2015

Carolina Lopez, deputy supervisor of elections for Miami-Dade, said voters must submit hard copies of applications with a signature before receiving a voter information card that confirms their address and polling location.

According to the Florida Division of Elections, the application requires a signature because the voter is swearing or affirming an oath.

The New York Times obtained Mr. Bush’s application from the Miami-Dade County Elections Department. Florida law requires that the signature, driver’s license number and Social Security number be redacted before such a document is publicly released.

Mr. Bush, whose father and brother were president, is from a family that has been found to have strong ties to British and other European royalty.

While Mr. Bush, a likely Republican presidential candidate, may have made a mistake, confusion over heritage is no laughing matter during a campaign season.

During her Senate campaign in 2012, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was accused of misrepresenting herself as Native American. Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, who has officially announced his presidential campaign, has had to explain that he is eligible to run, despite being born in Canada, because his mother is an American citizen.

Democrats were quick to criticize Mr. Bush for the error.

Albert Morales, the Democratic National Committee’s Hispanic outreach director, said that Mr. Bush was “out of step” with Latinos, and the Florida Democratic Party suggested that he might have committed a felony.

Legal experts said that without evidence that Mr. Bush had intended to deceive, he was unlikely to face legal repercussions.