Manatee elections supervisor pushes vote-by-mail as ‘insurance policy’ against COVID-19
Casting a vote-by-mail ballot is the safest way to participate in the upcoming primary election, according to Manatee County’s top elections official.
About 90,000 ballots were sent out to local voters Monday. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across Manatee and the state, requesting a mail-in ballot is an “insurance policy” for voters, said Supervisor of Elections Michael Bennett
“You don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Do you want to drop it in the mailbox or bring it to one of the early voting sites? As long as we have it on our hands by 7 p.m. on Election Day, everyone is happy,” Bennett said. “We push this as an insurance policy.”
By November, the office expects to have around 100,000 voters registered to vote by mail.
There are 32,000 more registered Republican voters than Democrats in Manatee County, but according to the latest data from the Supervisor of Elections Office, almost as many Democrats have requested vote-by-mail ballots as Republicans.
About 37,500 Republicans have requested mail-in ballots, compared to 34,000 Democrats who have done so. About 17,000 ballots are being sent to voters without party affiliation.
The fact that Democrats are within striking distance despite being outnumbered is indicative of an organized effort, Bennett said.
“I think that the Democrats have certainly had a more organized push for vote-by-mail than the Republicans have. I’m thinking there’s got to be four or five different organized campaigns by the Democratic Party. We’ve not seen anything like that from the Republican Party.”
In an interview with the Bradenton Herald, Tracy Pratt, chairwoman of the Manatee County Democratic Party, confirmed that vote-by-mail registration has been the organization’s main goal for months.
“It’s actually a primary focus of what we’re doing right now. We are very actively encouraging people to vote by mail. It’s a very safe way to vote,” said Pratt. “That way you don’t have to go to polling locations during a pandemic, and we want them to vote by mail for their own protection and general ease.”
Democrats are leading the vote-by-mail charge statewide, as well. Florida Democrats announced that they have registered 423,000 more vote-by-mail voters than Republicans in a recent press release.
“Our team has been working tirelessly to organize thousands of volunteers to do the important work of enrolling their friends and neighbors into vote-by-mail,” Florida Democratic Chairwoman Terrie Rizzo said in a statement.
Local Republicans are also advocating for voting by mail, especially if it can keep voters safe, said Kathleen King, chairwoman of the Manatee County Republican Party.
“We want people to vote. Some people like the honor of the ballot box. A lot of people like going, but if people are afraid due to COVID-19, they should have no fear of voting by mail,” King explained. “It’s better to vote by mail than to not vote at all.”
The July 20 deadline to register with a political party to participate in the primary election is quickly approaching, but there’s still plenty of time to request a mail-in ballot by the Aug. 8 deadline. The primary election is Aug. 18.
A vote-by-mail ballot must be requested by a registered voter who provides their name, address, date of birth and voter signature to the Supervisor of Elections Office. Mail ballots can be sent via the post office, delivered to early voting sites or left at the office’s secure ballot drop-off.
Early voting begins Aug. 8 and runs until Aug. 15 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at certain locations.
Bennett’s office is also adding a sixth early voting site to accommodate more voters out east. For the first time, residents will be able to vote or drop off ballots at the Florida Department of Transportation Operations Office, 14000 State Road 64 E.
Adding a new site is also an opportunity to prevent long lines that could risk the spread of COVID-19, Bennett explained.
“When you look at the huge growth we’ve had with virus problems because of COVID-19, people don’t want to stand in line,” said Bennett. “Between adding another early voting site and vote-by-mail ballots, we hope to eliminate lines.”
Early voting is available at the following locations:
- Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, 8175 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch.
- Manatee County Utilities Administration Offices, 4410 66th St. W., Bradenton.
- Palmetto Library, 923 Sixth St. W., Palmetto.
- Rocky Bluff, 6750 U.S. 301, Ellenton.
- Supervisor of Elections Office, 600 301 Blvd. W., Bradenton.
Florida Department of Transportation Operations Office, 14000 State Road 64 E., Bradenton.
Bennett’s office has also reversed its stance on felon voting rights linked to Amendment 4. About 100 felons were removed from the voter rolls but since then, Bennett says his office has sent a letter to each person encouraging them to register again.
“We contacted those people by mail and asked them to try again,” he said. “Hopefully they will.”
