Bill seeks Florida vote-by-mail tweak elections officials say they don’t need or want

(The Center Square) – More than 4.85 million of the nearly 11.1 million Floridians who voted in the Nov. 3 election cast ballots by mail, including 1.5 million Republican and 1.4 million non-affiliated voters.

Because mail-in and early voting are popular in Florida – another 4.2 million cast ballots at early voting sites – state law allows county elections supervisors to tabulate them upon arrival, unlike states that don’t do so until after Election Day polls close.

That factor, and the scarcity of close races – of 170 elections statewide, from president to state representative, only one required a recount – allowed Florida’s 67 county elections offices to post results within hours of Election Day polls closing.

Mocked since the infamous 2000 “hanging chad” debacle, Florida emerged from the 2020 elections as a shiny star of ballot-processing efficiency and vote-counting transparency.

“Perhaps 2020 was the year we finally vanquished the ghost of Bush versus Gore,” Gov. Ron DeSantis declared the next day. “As you see chaos unfolding in some of these other battleground states, the people are actually looking at Florida and asking the question, ’Why can’t these states be more like Florida?’”

While acknowledging the system worked smoothly, and despite election supervisors saying change is unneeded, Florida Senate Republicans want to preemptively tweak the state’s vote-by-mail process to see if “maybe it can work a little better.”

Senate Bill 90, filed by Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Lady Lake, would require voters who want to vote by mail request mail-in ballots every two-year election cycle.

If adopted, the 4.85 million Floridians who voted by mail in November – including nearly 2.2 million Democrats – must submit new applications for 2022 elections.

“It’s not that big of a change,” Baxley told the Senate Ethics & Elections Committee Wednesday. “Why not try this? It may invigorate participation.”

The bill is designed to do just the opposite, said Sen. Randolph Bracy, D-Orlando.

“This is clearly going to reduce vote-by-mail in Democratic counties,” Bracy said. “And so, I can’t support this. I’m sorry that I even have to take it there, but it’s disheartening to look at this for what it is. I hate to go here, but it looks partisan.”

SB 90 advanced through the Senate Ethics & Elections Committee, which Baxley chairs, in a partisan 5-4 vote. It faces hearings before the Senate Governmental Oversight & Accountability and Rules committees. No House companion has emerged.

Florida law allows voters’ mail-in ballot authorizations to remain current for two general election cycles – four years – unless they opt out.

SB 90 would trim authorization to one general election and allow county elections supervisors to begin counting vote-by-mail ballots up to 40 days before Election Day instead of no sooner than 22 days.

“This bill gives vote-by-mail security and choice” and would “create less opportunities for mishap or mischief,” Baxley said. “This is a good bill. I feel sure you’ll be pleased in the long run, despite your fears and concerns. It’ll work better.”

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to reset, reengage voter confidence,” said Sen. Ileana Garcia, R-Miami, whose 34-vote victory over Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, tainted by allegations of a dark money-funded shadow candidate, was the state’s only 2020 recount election. “If it’s working now, maybe it can work a little better.”

Florida State Association of Supervisors, which represents county elections officials, said vote-by-mail rules work, do not need to be changed and would impose financial burdens on their offices.

“Our Florida election code works,’’ Pinellas County Elections Supervisor Julie Marcus said.

“Should this stand,’’ warned Okaloosa County Elections Supervisor Paul Lux, “the cost of outreach will be where the rubber meets the road – and that will come from counties.”

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