Is Florida’s new law a form of voter suppression? Manatee election supervisor says yes
Voting rights groups, Democrats and supervisors of elections across the state are taking issue with a controversial bill that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Thursday morning.
The law, which makes significant changes in how elections are run and how vote-by-mail ballots are submitted, has been characterized as “voter suppression” by critics. Republican lawmakers have championed the law, calling it a protective measure that keeps elections safe and secure.
But Florida ran an election in 2020 that was praised for its quick results and smooth ballot-counting process. Manatee County saw record voter turnout in November, and Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett said he’s afraid of any changes that could put that at risk.
“Not only did we run a good election, the entire state did. It appeared to me that it was a solution looking for a problem,” said Bennett, a Republican, referring to the newly signed law. “We didn’t have a problem. We had the highest voter turnout ever. It was a brand new record. Anything that would jeopardize that would make me nervous.”
Speaking with the Bradenton Herald Thursday, Bennett said he had hoped DeSantis would veto the bill that he saw as a “total waste of energy and effort.” The majority of Florida’s election supervisors have come out against the bill.
“I just do not think this bill was necessary in any way, shape or form. If somebody would’ve pointed out fraudulent actions, I’d be more interested,” he explained, noting that the Legislature’s debates could not pinpoint cases of fraud. “I don’t care how you cut it, but any time you make it more difficult to vote, it’s going to suppress somebody’s vote.”
The bill makes it harder for voters to request vote-by-mail ballots by requiring Floridians to provide a driver’s license number, a state ID or the last four digits of their Social Security number. Requests for vote-by-mail ballots also don’t last as long, and must now be requested every two years instead of every four.
Bennett predicted that the need to require sensitive information on a voter registration form would be a concern for many local voters, creating a barrier to the democratic process.
“People are suspect of having that information public anyhow, so people are going to say, ‘I don’t know if I want to sign up for that and put that in an envelope and mail it back,’ ” Bennett said. “I think that people are going to say they don’t want that information public.”
Other changes include limitations on how many vote-by-mail ballots a person may possess at one time, the banning of elections offices using private grants to fund voter education programs, and new requirements to ensure ballot drop boxes are physically monitored.
The ballot box rule is unfair, said Bennett, who argued that the law specifically targets election supervisors. Voters can also drop their ballots off in public post office boxes, but those don’t have to be physically supervised by anyone.
“This [new law] means the drop box previously posted under surveillance by three cameras is no longer allowed,” Bennett wrote in a memo to staff. “Voters are allowed to utilize USPS deposit boxes at any location at any time. DUMB!!!”
Florida’s voting changes come even after DeSantis praised the state’s efforts in November. The law, he said, solidifies Florida’s status as a leader in election integrity.
“Florida took action this legislative session to increase transparency and strengthen the security of our elections,” DeSantis said Thursday. “Floridians can rest assured that our state will remain a leader in ballot integrity. Elections should be free and fair, and these changes will ensure this continues to be in the case in the Sunshine State.”
Bennett believes the law’s new restrictions and rules will suppress voters, but stopped short of calling it a voter suppression bill.
“I would say that this kind of bill is driven by the rhetoric of the Republican Party wanting to blame voter fraud on the loss of the election, so they’re looking to change the rules so we can cut that out, even though I don’t know that there was any to speak of,” said Bennett, a registered Republican who previously served in the Florida Legislature.
“I don’t want to be the one radical standing on the street corner waving a sign saying this is voter suppression. I’m not going to do that,” he added. “Do I think it will suppress the vote? Yes, I do. Do I think it was a voter suppression bill? No, I don’t.”
Others have been willing to make that declaration. In an interview with the Bradenton Herald, state Rep. Michele Rayner-Goolsby, D-St. Petersburg, said she believed the bill was fueled by former President Donald Trump’s lies about widespread voter fraud.
“It was completely driven by the former president’s claims. I believe the GOP is scared they’ll lose in 2022 and they need to retain their base,” said Rayner-Goolsby, who also released a message on Twitter arguing that the bill was passed to “score political points.”
Her Republican colleagues don’t see it that way. In the Florida Legislature, Manatee County’s state delegation voted along party lines. State Rep. Will Robinson, state Rep. Tommy Gregory and state Sen. Jim Boyd voted in favor of the bill, while Rayner-Goolsby voted against it.
Boyd and Robinson defended their support of the bill. Gregory could not be reached for comment.
“I view this as strengthening a good system that is in place and providing absolute certainty to the sanctity of each vote,” Boyd, R-Bradenton, wrote in a text message.
“Since the 2000 election debacle, Florida has continued to find ways to improve its election law. This law clamps down on ballot harvesting, prohibits unsolicited mass mailing of ballots and puts necessary safeguards on ballot drop boxes and vote-by-mail procedures, thereby limiting the chances for corruption,” Robinson, R-Bradenton, said in a statement.
“This law is about improving the security of elections in our state to make sure they are run with greater efficiency and transparency to allow Floridians to fully believe their vote was properly counted,” he added.
Shortly after DeSantis’ bill-signing, the League of Women Voters of Florida filed the first legal challenge against the law, arguing that it violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
“This legislation has a deliberate and disproportionate impact on elderly voters, voters with disabilities, students and communities of color. It’s a despicable attempt by a one-party-ruled Legislature to choose who can vote in our state and who cannot,” Patricia Brigham, president of the League of Women Voters of Florida, said in a statement released Thursday. “It’s undemocratic, unconstitutional and Un-American.”
Until that lawsuit is resolved, Bennett said his office must prepare to use the new guidelines, which could come with a major price tag.
“Yesterday, I sent a letter to Manatee County outlining my budget for this coming year, and that budget could change overnight depending on what happens with this bill,” Bennett said. “If we have to mail the 100,000 vote-by-mail people we have, you figure it would cost us over $1 apiece, adding another $100,000 to the budget.
“Every time you turn around, there’s just a lot of issues that need to be clarified and we don’t quite know how they’re going to clarify them.”
This story was originally published May 6, 2021 at 4:53 PM.
