Sumter Times

Increased participation will follow the signing of a new voter law in Florida, according to the bill's original sponsor.

Sen. Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala) defended Senate Bill 90 in the face of accusations from critics that it will suppress the votes of minorities, elderly people and the disabled.

The law, recently signed into effect by Gov. Ron DeSantis, makes voters submit vote-by-mail requests more often than is currently required and retroactively cancels voters’ current vote-by-mail ballot requests and make them apply every year.

It makes it a crime for a friend or caregiver to pick up or drop off a vote-by-mail ballot; bars certain actions at poll stations, including handing out water; restricts the use of absentee ballot drop boxes to early voting; introduces more thorough ID requirements for absentee ballots; and enables partisan observers to raise objections to election processes.

It was passed after false claims led by former President Donald Trump of widespread fraud in the 2020 election process, and was framed as an election integrity measure by its Republican backers. The courts and state recounts have found no evidence of massive voter fraud, Reuters reports.

Last year's election, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, "opened up so many doors [to voting] and there are some challenges and problems to be avoided," Baxley told the Sumter Times.

The increased popularity of mail-in and ballot drop-off amid the COVID-19 crisis had a significant impact on the thinking of lawmakers, Baxley said.

"We no longer have a voting day but a voting season," he said. "There is increased participation so accuracy is even more important and it will help participation to know we are secure." He added that while the critics were "whining," voting will not be more restricted.

The new law will beef up the "chain of custody to avoid mischief and mishap, increase reliability of results, and assure the public [we are] on top of a system they can count on," Baxley said.

Huge numbers arriving in the state every year and moving addresses every election cycle means it is important to not take risks and handle in a more controlled manner, he said.

Amendments were introduced, Baxley said, amid complaints from some county supervisors, including Republicans, who argued the measures were unnecessary, too onerous and expensive to introduce. Many supervisors still oppose the law as passed. 

The Heritage Foundation lists approximately 40 criminal cases of all types of voter fraud in three decades in Florida. Baxley argues it is better to prevent problems rather than having already-busy law enforcement agencies spending time investigating allegations

A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 1, if passed, could override certain elements of state measures. The bill expands voter registration, including automatic and same-day, voting access, mail-in and early voting, and limits removing voters from rolls. 

The legislation would legalize ballot harvesting and allow voters to change both their names and addresses at polling locations on Election Day, the Sunshine Sentinel reports. Florida Sen. Rick Scott recently called H.R.1 “the big lie,” and argued that it would strengthen the likelihood of fraudulent elections.

It appears unlikely to pass the Senate. Florida House of Representatives passed the state bill 77-40, while the Senate voted 23-17.  It was entirely along party lines apart from one Republican dissenter in the upper chamber.

Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando) branded the law a "Georgia-style voter suppression bill [that] makes it harder to vote by mail, prohibits groups from passing out water to voters and tries to limit ballot boxes."

According to NPR, Florida remains one of the easiest states in which to vote, despite FL SB90 measures to safeguard election integrity. The Sunshine State mandates eight days of early voting and a no-excuse mail-in voting policy.