A Florida Senate bill “moving at the speed of light” would purge the permanent vote-by-mail request lists in every county by July — and could disenfranchise close to 100,000 Miami-Dade voters with elections this year in Virginia Gardens, Homestead, Miami, Miami Beach and Hialeah.
Not so fast, said the Miami-Dade Commission, which on Tuesday passed a resolution, sponsored by Commissioner Raquel Regalado, opposing SB90. She also wanted to urge the legislature to — at the very least — change the effective date to Jan. 1, 2022, if they are to pass the bill.
Regalado, who is lobbying the Miami-Dade delegation on the bill, said the timing was unfair because voters in cities with elections before July — like Coral Gables (April) and Sweetwater (May) — would get their absentee or vote-by-mail ballots and those with elections after July would have to request new ones. The unlucky are:
- 396 voters in Virginia Gardens with elections Sept. 14
- 7,561 voters in Homestead with elections Oct. 5
- 15,719 in Miami Beach with elections Nov. 2
- 25,279 in Hialeah with elections Nov. 2
- 58,049 in Miami with elections Nov. 2
And they won’t even know it. People who requested absentee ballots last year were given an option to get ABs for two years of elections, Regalado said. That’s how the county has a “permanent” list.
“They expect to get one,” she said, adding that the county will have to spend approximately $400,000 to inform and create awareness, so that people know they have to request ballots again.
Read related: Absentee ballots will be bigger than ever for elections in time of COVID19
Also, Regalado found that senior voters are disproportionately affected because they do not have the same ease and familiarity with the internet. Of the voters on the permanent AB list, about half are over 60.
“People under 60 are just going to be able to go online and get another one,” she said, adding that it would be more difficult for those 61 and over.
Commissioners Eileen Higgins, Kionne McGhee and Sally Heyman wanted stronger language, not just a change on the effective date. The change, if effective in January, would still affect more than 400,000 voters who are scheduled to receive absentee ballots for the 2022 primary and general.
Heyman reminded the commission that the Florida Association of Counties and election supervisors statewide oppose the measure.
“It is expensive. It is a chilling effect for elections,” Heyman said, adding that Miami-Dade Elections Supervisor Christina White was honored recently for having coordinated a problem-free election with a historic number of absentee ballots, which were counted within an hour or so.
“Everybody knows what Sen. Baxley is doing,” Heyman said referring to the bill’s sponsor, Dennis Baxley (R-Lady Lake). “This should be a full out opposition. Not a request for an extension. It needs to be left alone.”
Read related: More than half a mil Miami-Dade vote-by-mail, absentee ballots favor Dems
It is rather insulting and perhaps even dangerous that the legislature wants to change the way we get our ballots all of a sudden. Is this a solution in search of a problem? Or is it because they didn’t like the way the election turned out? Because Democrats are finally getting the hang of ABs?
The bill seemingly violates the rights of voters if effective retroactively. Is there a legal challenge here?
But Regalado said that “elections is the complete and total domain of our partners at the state,” and that the bill had been received positively in committee. She doesn’t want full opposition to sideline the postponement.
“This thing is moving at the speed of light and it is going to pass,” she warned.
“I’m just concerned that if we just say we’re against it and don’t propose an alternative, it’s going to pass and we will have this chaotic situation.”
The Democrat commissioners beat out the Republican moderate and the resolution was changed to just opposing the Republican measure, without changing the deadline.
Let’s just hope that the message was heard loud and clear.
Tallahassee’s vote-by-mail purge plan could affect 100K Miami-Dade voters added by Ladra on
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One of your arguments seems to be that people who you feel might not be informed should not vote and absentee makes it to easy for them to vote ?
That translates to ” If you do not agree with me or do not know as much as I know you are ill informed “.
Who defines ill informed ?
Heck 6 years ago I bought a house in a gated community in Doral, talk about ill informed and if you define that as ill informed and to stupid to vote then I agree 100 percent , lol but I stand by that it should be easy for any citizen to vote .
Absentee has shown to be safe regardless of what Trump said.
”I get absentee because some of these ballots are like Roman scrolls with countless Judges , etc .
So I have to do some research , fill it out and I physically take it in .”
JOSE
So if the ailments of age physically impede you thats what absentee ballots were made for. And Early voting is two weeks if you can’t get away from work for two weeks your probably have human trafficking, slavery or indentured servant issues.
You don’t have to go anywhere to renew your VBM status you just send back the card or do it online. Its every two years. It’s not about making it hard voting is quite easy, but to much ease gets people unlike yourself who don’t know who don’t know Osama from Obama or Kenya from Kanye voting because its toooo easy. Its not about one party or another both equally count on the ability to get those uninformed voters to vote to put them over the top, hence our current political state.
Mike P
“With all these efforts to further spread the Big Lie that there’s a lot of voter fraud going …” are you saying that the shenanigans right here in Miami Dade never happened, Ladra would have a bone to pick with you. There’s fraud in every election, especially ones with over 100 million votes, BUT rarely do the affect the outcome (and this time is not one of those rare occasions). There is a case that maybe a half dozen little Havana Boleteras decided the 2000 Presidential election. Call Martin Scorsese I sense a blockbuster hit GoodAbuelas
William M Tweed,
I get absentee because some of these ballots are like Roman scrolls with countless Judges , etc .
So I have to do some research , fill it out and I physically take it in .
You do not get them for years , you get a letter which tells you that if you want to renew your absentee voting ballots you have to show up in person to renew it .
I think it is every 2 to 3 years but not sure .
Voting is a right but why should anyone be inconvenienced due to it .
Yes we can stand in line but plenty can not be it age , work , etc and they should not have to .
With all these efforts to further spread the Big Lie that there’s a lot of voter fraud going on we should call out that no one has yet shown the proof and claimed the bounty offered by Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. The GOP has become the party of more lies. Its members don’t care about truth because those who are bold enough to call out obvious lies are immediately ostracized by the remaining tribe.
“To be a scientist is to be naive. We are so focused on our search for the truth we fail to consider how few actually want us to find it. But it is always there whether we see it or not, whether we choose to or not. The truth doesn’t care about our needs or wants, it doesn’t care about our governments, our ideologies, our religions. It will lie in wait for all time. And this, at last, is the gift of Chernobyl. Where I once would fear the cost of truth, now I only ask: What is the cost of lies?” ~ Valery Legasov
Let me get this straight, the same people who for years have been complaining about AB ballot fraud now want more of them? And the folks who benefited the most from them want to curtail them? Apparently the winds have shifted and both sides looking to capitalize, got to love politics.
Absentee before it became Vote By Mail was only for people with physical impediments or who for some reason would not be here on election day now (for the last 25 or so years) its been a free for all. Is it to much to ask a healthy citizen to get his/her ass off the couch and walk, drive or pedal to their nearby precinct and vote on election day? Yes there’s a line yes its a hassle if you don’t think your vote makes a difference or don’t care much to vote anyway then don’t. It’s a right not a duty.
Big mistake to limit voting.
GIGANTIC MISTAKE.
I will write Governor DeSantis.
It’s another one of the voter disenfranchise bills going through Republican-controlled state legislatures all over the country this year. And because of the previous Republican gerrymandering in Florida, they have the power to do this to our state. The voice of the people is largely ignored, while more draconian laws are enacted by the GOP to control the country. This has been coming for a long time, and unless voters become more interested and educated, we will soon have rule by the minority over almost all aspects of our lives. Time to get smart, and see this for what it is. This is the last gasp of the white, male minority, and they will not let go of power easily. Do your homeword, and due diligence.
Thank you Republicans in Tallahassee for trying to purge the voter rolls periodically so that we can be sure only qualified voters are on the rolls.
Unbelievable. In plain sight. No decency at all in terms of respecting voters’ rights. A class action lawsuit against legislators with such ill intent is justified.
Is NOT a Fix but a Great Step Forward to Clear The Election Fiasco of The past !
This bill could be a disaster for Democrats. It will greatly help the Trump Cult members like Ron DeSantis and his friends. Good for Racquel Regalado for objecting. Mayor Levine-Cava should be all over this issue.
The Republicans are shameless and desperate! They are trying to make it much more difficult for people to vote throughout the nation, especially minorities, young people, and anyone who is in a group that mostly votes for Democratic candidates. This is outrageous! I hope the people will remember what these Republicans are doing and go out to vote against all of them.
Tallahassee’s Sundries.