TALLAHASSEE – Monday was the first day of what is expected to be a two week trial over election law changes passed by Florida lawmakers in 2021.
The major issues being challenged are changes to drop boxes, vote-by-mail ballots and who can return vote-by-mail ballots.
More than four times as many voters either voted early or by mail as those who showed up in person in 2020. But major changes made in the law after that election have advocates worried they will reduce turnout in 2022.
“There is no question SB-90 makes it harder for people to vote, whether it be registering to vote, making it harder for third party voter registration groups to operate, or to vote by mail, making drop boxes less accessible,” Ashwell said.
As Senate Bill 90 moved through the 2021 session, sponsor Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Lady Lake, said: “We had such a smooth one and I want to protect what is working well.”
The new law requires drop boxes at a supervisors office to be monitored by a person 24/7. Elsewhere, drop boxes can only be used during early voting hours.
“It’s a solution looking for a problem,” Ashwell told us. He worries the legislation now before the Federal court will make voting harder.
“There is no question SB-90 makes it harder for people to vote, whether it be registering to vote, making it harder for third party voter registration groups to operate, or to vote by mail, making drop boxes less accessible” Ashwell said.
There are new requirements and notices that third party voting groups must give applicants they sign up. That includes telling applicants their application might not get turned in on time.
League of Women Voters President Cecelia Scoon was the first to testify. She said that her volunteers were embarrassed when they had to tell a voter that the league may not turn in their application.
And while lawmakers are in the middle of their 2022 session, no major election overhaul legislation has been introduced yet, but Baxley said to stay tuned.
In 2020, nearly nine million Floridians voted early or by mail. Just 1.9 million voted in person.