The hurricane slammed into the authorities 2 weeks ago, causing catastrophic harm to immoderate areas and leaving much than 100 radical dead. The hurricane besides destroyed polling places, disrupted message transportation and forced some voters and canvass workers from their homes successful counties straight deed by the historical storm.
Many of the steps authorized by DeSantis reflector those that were taken successful Florida’s Panhandle successful the aftermath of Hurricane Michael successful 2018. But they could gully further scrutiny from those who person made baseless allegations astir wide elector fraud marring the 2020 elections. Some of those who person pushed these allegations, including the blimpish radical Defend Florida, maintained that radical who were voting didn’t unrecorded astatine their listed addresses.
But DeSantis — noting that immoderate radical person mislaid their homes and whitethorn beryllium surviving with relatives — said determination were inactive requirements for those seeking to person a ballot sent to a antithetic address.
“You got to beryllium who you are,” helium said. “It’s conscionable not ballots successful the ether.”
The 3 counties covered by DeSantis’s enforcement bid are location to much than 1 cardinal progressive registered voters, with much than 450,000 of them registered arsenic Republicans. Lee County provided a 62,000-vote borderline to DeSantis successful the 2018 predetermination erstwhile helium hardly edged Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum.
DeSantis is wide expected to triumph reelection this twelvemonth and has led his Democratic opponent, Charlie Crist, successful polling and money.
DeSantis’ enforcement bid would let the predetermination supervisors successful those counties to acceptable up alleged super-voting centers alternatively of trying to support polling places for idiosyncratic precincts. Early voting, which nether instrumentality is expected to wrapper up the Sunday earlier Election Day, would beryllium extended each the mode to Nov. 8. And the enforcement bid would let supervisors to determination driblet boxes from antecedently announced locations.
The enforcement bid besides suspends immoderate of the requirements for canvass workers and grants permission to authorities workers who hold to enactment arsenic canvass workers.
Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Rob Turner, who said a tiny fig of polling locations successful his region would beryllium unavailable connected Election Day, said successful a connection helium was “grateful” for the changes authorized by the politician truthful that each eligible voters would capable to formed a ballot.
“Given the level of upheaval that has occurred successful the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, a main extremity for our bureau is to support the voting process arsenic ‘normal’ arsenic possible,” Turner said. “That means continuing to marque the vote-by-mail and aboriginal voting process accessible portion ensuring that each voters who ballot connected Election Day tin bash truthful easy and efficiently.”
The governor’s enactment comes 2 days aft a conjugation of voting and civilian rights groups asked DeSantis for a bid of changes, including extending aboriginal voting and consolidating polling places.
Brad Ashwell, Florida manager of All Voting is Local, a radical that presses for accrued entree to voting, said that the enforcement bid “provides a fewer important steps” for those successful the 3 counties.
But Ashwell questioned utilizing canvass workers who person not been precocious trained and wherefore the bid was constricted to conscionable 3 counties.
“State officials indispensable bash much to guarantee voting entree aft 1 of the worst earthy disasters successful U.S. history,” Ashwell said. “Voters successful immoderate storm-affected region successful Florida, not conscionable the 3 wherever section elections officials asked for help, merit extended clip and resources to adequately formed their ballots. The authorities indispensable see the needs of voters crossed the state, not conscionable the needs of supervisors of elections successful a fewer counties.”
DeSantis, however, maintained that predetermination officials successful different counties told the authorities they’ve “got it covered.”
English (US)