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Tag: Florida elections

  • Florida election supervisors again ask lawmakers to make it easier to vote by mail

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    Florida election supervisors are again asking state lawmakers to change state law to make it easier for Floridians to vote by mail, but whether the GOP-controlled Legislature will act on the request is questionable, since they ignored a similar request earlier this year.

    David Ramba, representing the Florida Supervisors of Elections, told the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee on Wednesday that supervisors in the state want lawmakers to reinstate the checkbox on mail-in ballot envelopes, an item wiped away by a 2021 election law that requires voters to renew their vote-by-mail (VBM) ballots requests every two years instead of every four years.

    As election officials told lawmakers in a similar committee meeting before the 2025 legislative session, the results from two special elections held earlier this year put in stark relief how voters are still not used to the change in law.

    Referring to the Congressional District 1 election in the Panhandle, Ramba said there were 98,000 plus VBM requests on file in November 2024, when then-GOP U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz was running for re-election. After Gaetz resigned from the seat and a special primary election was held in January 2025, there were just over 12,000 VBM requests.

    Ramba said the same situation took place in Florida’s Sixth Congressional District, where a special election was held earlier this year after Mike Waltz stepped down to serve as Donald Trump’s national security adviser. (He’s now U.N. ambassador.)

    “It is a huge expense for our supervisors to go out and then solicit people who want to vote by mail,” Ramba said.

    “When they do vote by mail, and we receive your ballot in the November ’24 general election VBM, we are confirming your personal information. We know your address. We sent you that ballot. We do not send ballots out to people who did not ask for them. We have confirmed your signature. We have counted your ballot. We believe there should be the opportunity for that valid voter to — we call it ‘check the box’ — to be able to ask to continue to be on that vote-by-mail list.”

    Sen. Tina Polsky, a Democrat representing parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties, said it’s become obvious that the law making it incumbent for voters to request a vote-by-mail ballot every two years after an election simply isn’t working.

    “It’s not helping the electorate. The supervisors of elections have told us that. The numbers tell us that. All of our constituents tell us that. Every meeting I go to with constituents I end it by saying, ‘You must renew your vote-by-mail ballot,’ because people don’t know,” she said.

    “And so we should — we in this committee should look at the data and say, ‘This didn’t work. This was a failed experiment.’ Let’s go back to how it was before with checking the box, because there was no fraud associated with checking the box because of the excellent list maintenance and everything that they do and all of the laws that have been implemented since that time and take a look at that.”

    The request was one of just seven that the organization representing Florida’s 67 supervisors of elections made Wednesday to the committee.

    Other requests included:

    • Exempt from public records personal information of election workers as “Critical Infrastructure Assets.”
    • Have the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles automatically provide the election supervisors the new numbers assigned to the voters who receive a new driver’s license or identification card (the issue stems from a 2024 law that could affect voters’ ability to vote by mail or have their signature on a petition ballot be counted).
    • Allow a voter now deemed “inactive” to become an “active” voter if he or she signs a ballot petition form.
    • Give supervisors of election the flexibility to choose different early voting location sites when the the main office is not suitable for early voting.
    • Eliminating the requirement to place a ballot cast in a provisional ballot envelope if polling hours are extended by the governor beyond 7 p.m. on election night.
    • Expand the list of offenses involving “critical infrastructure” to include the theft or tampering of election equipment and/or ballots.

      Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Contact Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.

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    Uthmeier said the ban was needed “to avoid an imminent hazard to the public safety.”

    The bill, if approved, would make it legal to use testing strips, and could help curb overdose deaths



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    Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix
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  • Your Words: ‘What has Rick Scott done to deserve our vote?’

    Your Words: ‘What has Rick Scott done to deserve our vote?’

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    Photo courtesy Rick Scott/Senate.gov

    To the editor:

    Why would we want Rick Scott re-elected as our Florida Senator? What has Scott done during his tenure to deserve our vote?

    As a senator in 2022, Rick Scott proposed his “Plan to Rescue America.” Among his ideas: “All federal legislation sunsets [must be renewed] every five years. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again.” His plan included Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and veterans’ benefits. Both political parties called his rescue plan unthinkable and dangerous.

    This is a big problem. Why would Rick Scott think it’s a good idea to gamble the Social Security income and Medicare health insurance of millions of seniors on a five-year congressional renewal? We know from history partisan budget issues have shut down the government. Scott should be thinking of ways to preserve Social Security and Medicare, not end it.

    In 2020, Sen. Rick Scott served as chairman of the Senatorial Election Committee. His efforts were called “a total failure of leadership, and when things went bad Scott blamed anyone else but him” [by Ward Baker, then-leader of the National Republican Senatorial Committee]. The failure was further proven during the 2022 midterm senatorial elections, as the Republican Party severely underperformed. 

    We should be reminded of Scott’s CEO role with Columbia/HCA, one of the largest megabillion-dollar hospital and medical providers in the country. Scott led the corporation into the then-largest Medicare and Medicaid fraud in the history of the United States. The corporate result was a $1.7 billion fine and being found guilty of 14 felonies. His defense was he would have stopped the fraud if only “somebody told me something was wrong.” Scott pleaded the Fifth Amendment to avoid self-incrimination 75 times.

    Rick Scott wants to shut down the federal Department of Education. He believes education should be a state function. Under his plan there would be no agency to coordinate national education standards. One state may approve a 12-year-old student’s reading skill at a second-grade level, and another expect the 12-year-old student to read at a fifth-grade level. What if the family moves to another state? Based on reading skills, will some children of the same age be graduating high school while others are still in junior high?

    As a senator, Rick Scott stated if he was still governor he would have signed the Florida six-week abortion ban. Dr. Bruce Shephard, a retired Tampa OB/GYN who delivered over 7,500 babies over a 40-year career, stated women typically find out about abnormalities and genetic conditions at their 18-week ultrasound. The doctor called the six-week abortion ban “archaic, dangerous, and a nightmare.” 

    In June of this year, Rick Scott voted against the Right to Contraception Act, along with 38 other GOP senators. Scott led 22 of these senators in a statement they felt the bill “infringes on the parental rights and religious liberties of some Americans.” Religions have their own rules, and politics should have theirs. Contraceptives are a means of birth control, and a responsible alternative to unwanted pregnancies and abortion. 

    Sen. Scott has declared his intention to become the new leader of the Republican Senate with more power to implement his intentions. His ideas jeopardize Social Security, Medicare, public schooling, safe abortion, women’s health, birth control and more.

    At 70 years old he is one of the wealthiest members of Congress, with an estimated worth of over $260 million. Unlike many of us, Scott doesn’t rely on Social Security to pay his monthly bills. Rick Scott has failed to show reasonable, rational and responsible understanding of how to govern in our best interests. Vote NO to re-elect Rick Scott.

    — Bill Summerfield, Ocala

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  • Florida Democrats now running billboards to recruit candidates for state office

    Florida Democrats now running billboards to recruit candidates for state office

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    Photo via Florida Democratic Party

    In an attempt to recruit candidates to challenge Republicans in more than two dozen congressional and legislative seats across the state, the Florida Democratic Party (FDP) on Wednesday announced a billboard and digital campaign reaching out to Democrats in Polk, Madison, Miami-Dade, and Seminole Counties.

    “There are 27 uncontested House seats with no Democrat running and it is up to us to change that,” said FDP Chair Nikki Fried in a written statement.

    “We are already competing in more races compared to 2022 but it is our goal to field candidates in every seat across the state and give Republicans a run for their money. As we get closer to qualifying deadlines, candidate recruitment is a top priority. 30 years of Republican rule has failed Floridians. Property insurance rates are through the roof, we lead the nation in teacher shortages, and over a million Floridians have been kicked off Medicaid because Florida Republicans refuse to expand it. We need more Democrats in the running to fight for the issues people care about and defend the programs Floridians rely on,” she continued.

    In addition to the 27 state House district races not being challenged by the Democrats, the party says it is looking for candidates to compete against Republicans in four state Senate district races and three congressional contests, including in Florida’s Twelfth District, which Republican Gus Bilirakis has held since 2007. That district encompasses Hernando, Citrus, and part of Pasco counties.

    Pasco hasn’t elected a Democrat to any state elected office in a decade, since Amanda Murphy won a state House seat in 2014. The local party is looking for candidates to compete in four state House districts (53,54, 55, and 56) and three county commission seats.

    “It’s hard to get people to run for office, especially in Florida, because you have to put yourself out there. People tend to sometimes get a little rough with people and they’re afraid. And we hear it from people all the time, ‘Oh, yeah, I want to run,’ and then when we say, ‘You have to do this, this, and this,’ they back off,” said Brandi Geoit, chair of the Pasco County Democratic Executive Committee.

    “So, we’ve been wanting people to run for the House seats and the four congressional seats and everything else like that because if you don’t have people running, it’s just giving the other guy a pass, because it’s not really an election.”

    Recent victories

    Polk County Democratic Executive Committee Chair Cesar Ramirez said it can be challenging to get Democrats to run in what is considered a red county, but he remains optimistic, discussing some recent victories the party enjoyed this month in what are ostensibly nonpartisan city commission races in places like Haines City and Lake Wales.

    “What we’re really trying to change is the culture about what being part of a political party is,” he said.

    “I tell people all the time, a political party does not make you, you make the political party. So when you’re running as a Democrat, you’re running on your principles and your ideas. They happen to be aligned with the Democratic Party. We don’t want our candidates or potential candidates to lose their identity, we want them to stand up for what’s right, and what they believe is right, and if we’re on the side of right, then we’re the party for you,” he added.

    With the recruiting billboards now displayed in Polk, the Democratic Party is “demonstrating that we’re here to support you and your endeavors and, if our policies are aligned, then we are the party for you and we’re going to provide you as much support as we possibly can — boots on the ground, canvassing, whatever is necessary to get your vote, but we want to encourage folks our leaders in the community to step up and run,” Ramirez said.

    Mockery

    Top Florida GOP officials mocked the announcement that the Democratic Party will recruit candidates via billboards.

    “Floridians are so turned off by the @FlaDems radical agenda that they had to spend tens of thousands on billboards just to attempt to find candidates,” Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power said on X. “While @NikkiFried is lighting her limited campaign cash on fire, Republicans are growing our registration lead, flipping local elections, and delivering for Florida’s citizens.”

    West Central Florida Republican state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, who chaired the state party between 2015 and 2019, also derided state Democrats. “@NikkiFried recruiting D’s in unwinnable races. Can’t wait to see her winning percentage after this upcoming election,” Ingoglia wrote on X.

    The billboard campaign comes as the deadline for candidates to qualify to run in congressional races in Florida is approaching. The last day a candidate can file for those races is April 26. The deadline for state legislative races is on June 14.

    Meanwhile, Florida Republicans continue to dominate Democrats in voter registration. As of March 31, the GOP now has a lead of 892,000 voters, their largest in state history.

    Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Diane Rado for questions: [email protected]. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.

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    Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix

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  • Judge ends challenges to Florida election law he admits targets Black voters

    Judge ends challenges to Florida election law he admits targets Black voters

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    While saying Florida has repeatedly changed laws to “target” ways Black voters cast ballots, a federal judge Thursday closed the door on allegations that key parts of a 2021 elections law were unconstitutional.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued a 17-page order after the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year overturned a ruling in which he found the law improperly discriminated against Black voters. The Atlanta-based appeals court sent the case back to Walker to address two major issues.

    Walker, in Thursday’s order, appeared to criticize the appeals court for “reweighing” facts in the case. But he entered a judgment in favor of the state, concluding that plaintiffs had not met a legal test for showing that the changes in the law “unduly burden” First Amendment and equal-protection rights.

    “As this court (Walker) previously found after a lengthy, two-week bench trial, the state of Florida has, with surgical precision, repeatedly changed Florida’s election code to target whichever modality of voting Florida’s Black voters were using at the time,” Walker wrote Thursday.

    “That was not this court’s opinion — it is a fact established by the record in these cases. Even so, following the state of Florida’s appeal, this persistent and pernicious practice of targeting the modalities of voting most used by Florida’s Black voters has apparently received the stamp of approval in this (11th) Circuit.”

    The issues involved parts of the law that imposed new restrictions on mail-in ballot drop boxes and voter-registration groups.

    It required boxes to be manned by employees of supervisors of elections and limited their use to early-voting hours. Also, it required voter-registration groups to return completed applications to elections supervisors in the counties where applicants live and imposed a 14-day deadline for submitting the forms.

    Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature approved the law (SB 90) in 2021 as GOP leaders across the country pushed to make voting changes after former President Donald Trump’s loss in 2020.

    While Florida had a relatively smooth 2020 election, Republican lawmakers argued the changes were necessary to make the state’s elections more secure. Opponents, however, argued the changes were targeted, at least in part, at Black voters, who overwhelmingly support Democratic candidates.

    For instance, opponents pointed to Democrats far outnumbering Republicans in casting vote-by-mail ballots in 2020. Also, they said minority voters more heavily rely on “third party” voter-registration groups to sign up to vote.

    Voting-rights groups and other plaintiffs challenged the constitutionality of the measure, and Walker issued a 288-page decision in March 2022 that blocked disputed changes in the law. A three-judge panel of the appeals court in April 2023 overturned major parts of Walker’s ruling, and the full appeals court later declined to take up the case.

    In his order Thursday, Walker said he needed to apply a legal test to “determine whether the state’s interests outweigh the asserted burdens on the right to vote in this case.”

    He wrote, for example, that “although the drop-box restrictions make it harder for after-hours drop-box voters to deliver their vote-by-mail ballots, the restrictions at issue do not keep people from voting.”

    “(The) burden here is relatively modest — something more than an incidental burden for those who depend upon more flexible hours to submit their ballots, without constituting a substantial burden on the right to vote,” he wrote.

    Also, he wrote that “based on the Eleventh Circuit’s reweighing of the facts, this court (Walker) cannot find that the (voter) registration-delivery requirements are intentionally racially discriminatory, and thus, necessarily pose a severe burden on Black voters. Instead, this court must consider the disparate impact these provisions have on voters who rely on 3PVROs (third-party voter registration organizations) to register — particularly Black voters — and the magnitude of this injury.”

    “On balance, this court cannot say that the registration-delivery requirements unduly burden plaintiffs’ First and Fourteenth Amendment rights in violation of the Constitution,” Walker wrote, referring to the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.

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