Florida

Florida: As SAVE America Act stalls in the Senate, Florida passes its own proof-of-citizenship law | Jessica Huseman/Votebeat

A signature piece of voting legislation championed by President Donald Trump may not have much of a future in the U.S. Senate, but in Florida, the future is here. Earlier this month, Republican lawmakers in Trump’s home state approved a sweeping overhaul of the state’s voter registration system, one that mirrors the core idea behind the federal SAVE America Act: requiring proof of citizenship to get on the rolls. The details differ — the Florida bill, for instance, would not take effect until after the midterms — but the architecture is the same. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign the bill into law any day now. In states like Florida, policies like this one that are on the GOP’s wish list can move quickly. Republicans face little meaningful Democratic opposition, and the bill advanced with relatively little resistance — a stark contrast to Washington, where things are far messier. Read Article

Florida lawmakers pass new voter ID law, sparking debate | James Call/Tallahassee Democrat

Florida lawmakers will send Gov. Ron DeSantis voter identification requirements that supporters say protect the integrity of elections, even as Democrats dubbed the measure the “Show Me Your Papers Act.” Sen. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, had shepherded the bill (SB 1334) through the committee process, then on the Senate floor offered what’s called a “strike-all amendment” to substitute a House bill (HB 991) for hers. It was that measure that the Senate passed March 12 on a 27–12 vote. It returned to the House that evening, where it passed a final time 77–28. The two proposals largely mirror each other but differ on effective dates, and whether university student IDs are acceptable identification. The House wanted a January 2027 effective date and rejected student IDs, while the Senate preferred a July 2026 effective date and was silent on student IDs. Read Article

Florida plan to verify citizenship could snare lawful registered voters in bureaucratic morass | Anthony Man/South Florida Sun Sentinel

An effort in the Florida Legislature sounds simple and straightforward: ensure that only U.S. citizens vote in state elections. Republicans who control the state Senate and House of Representatives are advancing legislation they say would do just that, brushing aside warnings that they are about to create a logistical and bureaucratic morass — that could result in thousands of citizens losing their ability to vote. They envision a far-reaching effort, with two central components. Registered voters who change their party affiliation; their address; or their name after marriage, divorce or some other reason would have to produce documentation proving their citizenship to a county elections office. All existing registered voters would be checked against the state’s driver license database to flag anyone who hasn’t previously produced proof of citizenship, a process that depends on the technology working — even though sponsors aren’t allocating money for tech upgrades. Read Article

Florida: After yearslong lawsuit Miami-Dade will save ballot images | Claire Heddles/Miami Herald

Miami-Dade Elections Supervisor Alina Garcia will start saving digital images of ballots starting in next month’s local elections — a change Florida’s Democratic Party has been fighting the office for in court for years. Under state law, supervisors are required to save paper ballots for 22 months after an election. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit have argued that law should apply to digital images of the ballots taken by the voting machine too to add another layer of security during recounts. Their case against Miami-Dade’s elections office was set to go to trial in January. “This is a huge victory for verifiability and for transparency,” said Joseph Geller, one of the plaintiffs and Democratic Miami-Dade County School Board member, of Garcia’s decision to start saving ballot images. Read Article

Florida: Election supervisors say poll workers need to be shielded from harassment, threats | John Kennedy/Tallahassee Democrat

Following another bitterly contested campaign season, Florida election supervisors are renewing their call for more protections for poll workers harassed, threatened and insulted by a conspiracy-minded voting public. Supervisors presented a package of recommended changes Tuesday to the Senate Ethics & Elections Committee, topped by a request to exempt from public records the home addresses of election workers. Lake County Elections Supervisor Alan Hays, a former Republican state senator, told the panel that in his GOP-dominated county, his staff has been regularly subject to abuse from the public. Read Article

Florida: Hurricanes force changes to election procedures | David A. Lieb and Brendan Farrington/Associated Press

With Florida still recovering from Hurricane Helene, some state and local officials are bracing for more disruptions from Hurricane Milton that could affect how people vote in the general election. Gov. Ron DeSantis already has granted counties hardest hit by Helene greater flexibility in distributing mail-in ballots and changing polling sites for in-person voting. Further changes might be necessary after Hurricane Milton. “It’s possible mail ballots could get lost, either getting to the voter or being returned by the voter. They could be damaged, especially if there are high winds and waters,” said David Becker, executive director of The Center for Election Innovation and Research. In such cases, voters can request a replacement mailed ballot or still vote in person. Read Article

Florida: VR Systems takes ‘full responsibility’ for election websites crashing | Ana Goñi-Lessan/Tallahassee Democrat

Election supervisor websites crashed in multiple Florida counties on Tuesday after the company that supports the sites said they suffered “extraordinary stress.” “We believe the logging that was enabled as a security measure was at the root of the issues that our customers experienced,” VR Systems, the Tallahassee-based elections software company, said on Tuesday evening. Leon, Palm Beach, Manatee, Sarasota and Broward and other counties’ websites were experiencing technical issues, could not be accessed or were timing out. Almost an hour after polls closed, Lake and Palm Beach still did not have results pages. In an updated statement released Wednesday afternoon, VR Systems said the glitches affected every clients’ website that they host, and they “take full responsibility.” It is not yet known how many Florida counties were affected and what time all the issues were resolved. Read Article

Florida: Some elections observers just can’t be convinced | Mark Schneider/Palm Beach Post

Public testing of ballot counting machines in Palm Beach and Pinellas Counties, Florida, led to disruptions by observers, resulting in the canvassing boards deciding to only accept questions after testing rather than during. This change is unfortunate, as it limits transparency in the electoral process. Observers, fueled by suspicions of election rigging, have become increasingly hostile towards election procedures and equipment. Despite efforts to ensure security and transparency, including through training poll workers, doubts persist, suggesting that anger towards voting machines may continue until desired outcomes are achieved, highlighting challenges in maintaining trust in democracy. Read Article

Florida: At least one GOP election official wants no part of proposal to hand count ballots | Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix

A bill has been introduced in the Florida House that would allow supervisors of elections to hand-count ballots at the precinct level, a method advocated by conservative voting advocates since Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 election. The proposal, sponsored by Pinellas County Republican Berny Jacques and Lake County Republican Taylor Yarkosky, would give supervisors of elections the option to conduct hand counts at the precinct level. The bill also aims to prevent the Florida Department of State from authorizing voting systems that use hardware or software designed, owned, or licensed by foreign companies. However, some election officials, like Lake County GOP Supervisor of Elections Alan Hays, dismiss the idea of hand counts, calling it “nonsense” and “absolutely absurd.” Read Article

Florida voters have to sign up again if they want to vote by mail in next election | Steve Lemongello/Orlando Sentinel

Florida’s new law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis has wiped out nearly 3 million Floridians’ mail-in ballot requests made in 2022, requiring them to request mail-in ballots again for the next election, which has left county elections offices facing challenges in informing residents about this requirement. The opposition to mail-in voting in Florida has grown due to former President Donald Trump’s false claims of voter fraud, leading to concerns among Democrats and election experts about potential further restrictions on mail-in voting in the state. Read Article

Florida: Hillsborough County election hack exposed 58,000 voters’ private information | C.T. Bowen/Tampa Bay Times

A data breach at the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office in Florida has resulted in the exposure of private information belonging to around 58,000 voters. An unauthorized user accessed and copied files containing personal identification information, including Social Security and driver’s license numbers, primarily from files used for voter registration list maintenance. The breach did not affect the voter registration system or the ballot tabulation system, which have additional layers of security. The office is working with law enforcement officials to investigate the incident, and affected individuals will receive notification letters. Read Article

Florida election bill immediately challenged in federal court | Tampa Bay Times

After Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new elections bill in Florida, legal battles erupted over the restrictions on voter registration groups. Organizations such as the League of Women Voters of Florida and the NAACP filed federal lawsuits claiming that the restrictions violate First Amendment rights and will hinder efforts to register Black and Hispanic voters. The bill, supported by Republicans, imposes stricter regulations on third-party registration groups, including higher fines for violations and preventing non-U.S. citizens from handling registration applications. Proponents argue that the changes aim to enhance election security, while opponents contend that they disproportionately affect minority voters. The lawsuits seek injunctions against the disputed provisions and allege violations of constitutional rights. Read Article

Florida: Hillsborough County elections office in Tampa reports ‘criminal cyberactivity’ | ue Carlton/Tampa Bay Times

Authorities are investigating an incident of “criminal cyberactivity” at Hillsborough County’s elections office. An unauthorized user “illegally accessed files on a shared drive on our network,” Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer said in a news release Wednesday. But Latimer said the user had no access to the office’s voter registration or ballot tabulation systems, which have “multiple layers of protection, monitoring and redundancy.” The tabulation system also uses a stand-alone, air-gapped server “not connected to anything else,” he said. No other details were given about the incident, including when the breach took place or what files were accessed. It was reported to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, among other agencies, and is under investigation, according to the release.

Full Article: Hillsborough elections office in Tampa reports ‘criminal cyberactivity’

Florida: Black voters express fear, confusion as DeSantis election laws kick in | Lori Rozsa/The Washington Post

Geraldine Harriel usually helps her elderly parents vote by taking their mail-in ballots to the elections office for them. But new voting laws in Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis’s elections police force had her questioning that this year. So on a recent Sunday, she drove them to an early-voting site — gingerly guiding her 80-year-old mother, who walks with a cane, to the entryway and then pushing her 84-year-old father in a wheelchair along the same path. “Nobody wants to take the chance of being picked up,” Harriel, 65, said, referring to the voting police unit, which made its first arrests in August. Tuesday will mark the first major election in Florida since the legislature pushed through changes affecting voting in the Sunshine State. Voter advocates say the laws disproportionately affect Black voters — making it harder for many to vote — and have created an environment of confusion and fear. Voters can deliver ballots for immediate family members — but there are new forms to fill out, and some, like Harriel, worry that even a small mistake could result in a fine or an arrest. It is now illegal to turn in more than two ballots that don’t belong to a close relative. There are new restrictions for organizations that help register voters. And shortly after its inception, DeSantis’s Office of Election Crimes and Security announced deputies had made 20 arrests — 15 of them involving Black voters accused of voting illegally.

Full Article: Black voters in Florida express fear, confusion as DeSantis election laws kick in – The Washington Post

Florida elections officials grapple with misinformation, myths | Tampa Bay Times

First came a contagion of disbelief in election results. Then, a surge of public-records requests seeking details such as voting-system security processes. Now, fears of being arrested for voting. Elections supervisors in Florida have grappled with these and other issues as they oversaw the state’s August primary elections and prepared for the Nov. 8 general election. The challenges have come amid supervisors’ yearslong battle to convince voters that election processes aren’t rigged, an issue that took root and spread after former President Donald Trump and his supporters insisted — and continue to maintain — that Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 victory was fraudulent. Trump defeated Biden in Florida by more than three percentage points but, even in the Sunshine State, skepticism about how elections are operated continues to swirl. And the arrests in August of 20 people for alleged illegal voting haven’t helped, according to experts. County supervisors of elections are combating a steady drumbeat of myths about election fraud from an increasingly wary public.

Full Article: Florida elections officials grapple with misinformation, myths

Florida: Democratic alarms sound over DeSantis’s new elections overseer | Lizette Alvarez/The Washington Post

The once-sleepy job of secretary of state — and chief election overseer — was revealed as enormously important to our democracy when Donald Trump’s assault on the 2020 election results commenced. Now several Trump-aligned candidates are vying for secretary of state positions across the country, prompting concerns that election results might actually be manipulated. But here in Florida, a Trumpian bureaucrat is already in the job, thanks to his recent installation by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. That’s disturbing in a state where political races are often too close to call and vote recounts are routine. Meet Cord Byrd, who was a hard-right Republican member of the state House before his appointment in May and state Senate confirmation. DeSantis celebrated him as “an ally of freedom and democracy.” But Byrd sounds a little uncertain about the 2020 election results. Asked if Joe Biden won the election, Byrd said, “He was certified as the president and he is the president of the United States,” adding, “There were irregularities in certain states.” What Byrd didn’t say is that Biden won the election.

Full Article: Opinion | Democratic alarms sound over DeSantis’s new elections overseer – The Washington Post

DeSantis taps Cord Byrd, self-described ‘Florida gun lawyer,’ to oversee elections | Steve Contorno/CNN

Full Article: DeSantis taps Cord Byrd, self-described ‘Florida gun lawyer,’ to oversee elections – CNNPolitics

Florida: Voting rights advocates decry new office for election crimes | Sam Levine/The Guardian

Florida has approved a measure that would create a statewide office to investigate election crimes – the first of its kind in the United States. Voter fraud is extremely rare both nationwide and in Florida. Nonetheless, the new office of election crime and security will have 25 positions to investigate election fraud and be funded with more than $3m, Daniel Perez, a Republican state representative who backed the bill, said on the floor of the Florida house this week. It will be housed within the department of state, which is responsible for overseeing elections in Florida and whose head is appointed by the governor. The department will be authorized to investigate any alleged violations of Florida election law and oversee a voter fraud hotline. Each year, the agency will be required to provide a report to the governor and state legislature on how many investigations it conducted the previous year as well as how many matters were referred to another agency for further investigation or prosecution. The measure passed the Florida house on Wednesday and final approval from the Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, is expected shortly. The unit is slightly scaled back from what DeSantis called for in January, when he requested $6m for the office and wanted 52 staffers.

Full Article: Voting rights advocates decry Florida’s new office for election crimes | US news | The Guardian

Florida Senate Passes Voting Bill to Create Election Crimes Agency | Nick Corasaniti/The New York Times

The Florida Senate passed a sweeping new bill overhauling the state’s electoral process, adding new restrictions to the state election code and establishing a law enforcement office dedicated solely to investigating election crimes. The bill, which passed 24-14, now goes to the state’s House of Representatives, where it could pass as soon as next week and land on the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, who is expected to sign it. One Republican, State Senator Jeff Brandes, voted against it. A Democratic senator, Loranne Ausley, initially voted yes, but immediately posted on Twitter that she “pushed the wrong button” and has since changed her vote. Though Republicans in the state had passed another sweeping voting law in May of last year, Mr. DeSantis made election reform one of the top priorities for this legislative session as well. Both efforts come after the 2020 election in Florida was without any major issues, and Republicans in the state touted it as a “gold standard” for election administration.

Full Article: Florida Senate Passes Voting Bill to Create Election Crimes Agency – The New York Times

Florida bill creating election police unit ready for Senate floor | Renzo Downey/Florida Politics

The Senate could soon vote to establish an election crimes investigations unit, ban ranked-choice voting, change vote-by-mail forms and more. After more than two hours of discussion, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted nearly along party lines Thursday to send an elections bill (SB 524) that contains several of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “election integrity” priorities to the Senate floor. Despite bipartisan agreement the 2020 election was possibly the smoothest in Florida’s recent history, the bill is Republicans’ second follow-up measure to strengthen Florida’s voting laws. The legislation, sponsored by St. Augustine Republican Sen. Travis Hutson, proposes many changes to several areas of Florida election laws. “I don’t want one illegal vote in the state of Florida, and I don’t think we should be afraid of our elections being too secure,” Hutson told the committee. Gulf Breeze Republican Sen. Doug Broxson suggested the measure is insurance for the future rather than a reaction to the past. “We’re really looking to the future, to the reality of what seems to be a changing landscape across the country on election procedure,” Broxson told the committee. But Democrats, like Jacksonville Sen. Audrey Gibson, contested the bill’s purpose. “All this is stoking fear. It is wanting to cause division, not only in this state, but in this country,” Gibson said.

Full Article: Bill creating election police unit ready for Senate floor

Florida governor proposes special police agency to monitor elections | Lori Rozsa and Beth Reinhard/The Washington Post

Full Article: Florida governor pushes new election police agency – The Washington Post

Florida: Insurrection’s toll evident a year later as fraud claims color political debate | Zac Anderson and Antonio Fins/Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop Joe Biden’s election victory from being certified, the rhetoric that led to the insurrection continues to reverberate in election offices across Florida and color the political debate in Trump’s home state. Florida had the most arrests stemming from Jan. 6 and the most members of two far right extremist groups arrested in connection with the insurrection, but there has been no effort to address extremism. Instead, Florida GOP leaders have worked to placate a Republican base inflamed by Trump’s unfounded election fraud claims, instituting new voting restrictions and likely pursuing other changes to election oversight this year. Trump continues to push the same rhetoric that drove his supporters to overrun the Capitol, and is likely to keep up his fraud drumbeat at a Jan. 15 rally in Florence, Arizona.

Full Article: Trump’s stolen election rhetoric putting pressure on Ron DeSantis, GOP

Florida: Rules to use high-speed audit equipment for vote recounts drafted | Jeffrey Schweers/Tallahassee Democrat

State elections officials are proposing new rules for election audits and recounts based on a law approved in 2020. It was pushed by county election supervisors for years to allow independent auditing machines to perform recounts. The law took effect Jan. 1, 2021, but can’t be implemented without the rules – a process that was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the applications of former felons seeking restoration of their voting rights whose eligibility needed to be investigated. “The rules currently envision refeeding all ballots through the ballot tabulation system,” said Leon County Supervisor of Elections Mark Earley, also the incoming president of the Florida Supervisors of Elections statewide association. “The end goal is we can now use this new technology to enable much more efficient and transparent recounts for the counties that have adopted this technology,” Earley said. But “we can’t do that until these rules are written.”

Full Article: New rules for Florida vote recounts being considered

Florida Gov. DeSantis worries voter groups, local officials with elections police proposal | John Kennedy/Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ push to create a new law enforcement arm to police Florida elections is sparking concern among voter outreach organizations and state elections officials worried about how this force could be deployed. The Republican governor has praised Florida’s election performance in the 2020 presidential contest. But he’s never dismissed claims by former President Donald Trump that he lost the White House due to widespread voter irregularities and fraud last November. DeSantis’ call for a $5.7 million, 52-person Election Crimes and Security investigative force within the Florida Department of State has emerged as one of his attempts to lift the cloud he, Trump and others have kept swirling around U.S. elections. Others aren’t so sure. “This is a solution in search of a problem,” said Orange County Elections Supervisor Bill Cowles who, like most elections professionals, says actual vote fraud rarely occurs and is even less likely to be part of an organized effort.

Full Article: DeSantis’ plan for election police prompts concern from voter groups

Florida: How Orange County’s election office solved authentication challenges | Kimberly Johnson/GCN

The volume of ransomware attack attempts in the first half of 2021 was 150% higher than the same time in 2020. Despite this alarming increase, many local governments lag behind other organizations in adopting modern cybersecurity practices, leaving them woefully unprepared for the onslaught of attacks they face. Government agencies have been particularly susceptible to ransomware attacks. Over 40% of central government organizations were targeted in 2020 because their data stores are highly tempting to cybercriminals who want citizens’ sensitive data for phishing and identity theft. Attackers may also be attempting to steal classified data and undermine citizen confidence. Smaller cities and agencies face a unique set of challenges that make them especially vulnerable to attacks. They operate with decentralized budgets and security operations, while large federal, state and local government agencies have the reach, budget and personnel to deliver higher security. The nation’s smaller cities, municipalities, counties and agencies unwittingly offer a wide array of attack options to cybercriminals. Some government agencies, however, have begun preventing attacks by taking a more active approach to threats. Florida’s Orange County Election Office, whose staff comprises a broad spectrum of full- and part-time employees and volunteers, is one such example. The OC Office needed a cybersecurity solution to protect voter data and files to prevent vote tampering and fraud, while also ensuring easy access for its employees.

Full Article: How a Florida county’s election office solved authentication challenges — GCN

Florida: Orange County elections supervisor foils fake ballot in Orlando’s election | Ryan Gillespie/Orlando Sentinel

Full Article: Orange elections supervisor foils fake ballot in Orlando’s election – Orlando Sentinel

Florida again has an election too close to call | Brendan Farrington/Associated Press

In a state famous for election recounts, just 12 votes separated the leading candidates Wednesday in the Democratic primary in South Florida for the U.S. House seat of the late Alcee Hastings, elections officials said. By law, that means there will be a hand recount of ballots that tabulating machines read as having no votes or too many votes to determine if there is evidence of voter intention. The unofficial returns reported by Palm Beach and Broward county elections officials showed Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness ahead of health care company CEO Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick by 12 votes. “I’m hopeful this lead will hold through the recounts,” Holness said in a phone interview. “Certainly they are big shoes to fill. The congressman was really a powerhouse when it came to his ability to express himself. A great orator … I was very close to the congressman. He was a mentor.” While ballots cast by members of the military and other overseas Florida residents can be counted if received within 10 days of the election, that number is expected to be small. Unofficial returns showed Holness with 11,644 votes and Cherfilus-McCormick with 11,632 votes.

Full Article: Recount! Florida again has an election too close to call

Florida Bars State Professors From Testifying in Voting Rights Case | Michael Wines/The New York Times

Full Article: Florida Bars State Professors From Testifying in Voting Rights Case – The New York Times

Florida: Lake Elections Supervisor Alan Hays to GOP election-fraud claims: ‘PUT UP OR SHUT UP!!’ – Stephen Hudak/Orlando Sentinel

Full Article: Lake Elections Supervisor Alan Hays to GOP election-fraud claims: ‘PUT UP OR SHUT UP!!’ – Orlando Sentinel

Florida: ‘Tone down the rhetoric’: Elections officials tell politicians to chill out | Lawrence Mower/Tampa Bay Times

Florida’s elections supervisors have a message for elected officials: “Tone down the rhetoric.” In a plea to officials at “all levels of government,” the group representing the state’s Republican and Democratic county elections officials are asking them to denounce “false claims” surrounding last year’s election. “During and after the 2020 Presidential Election, the integrity of our democracy has been challenged by misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation that sows discord and undermines trust in America’s electoral process,” the memo states. “Many of us have been threatened by our fellow citizens who have been led astray by these deceptions. “Instead of standing idly by, we ask all candidates and elected officials to tone down the rhetoric and stand up for our democracy.” The memo was considered extraordinary for the Florida Supervisors of Elections, the organization representing the officials overseeing elections in the state’s 67 counties. Despite Florida’s turbulent history with elections, supervisors have largely stayed out of the limelight, even while Florida legislators were passing a contentious voting reform bill this year. Thursday’s memo is overdue, said Marion County Elections Supervisor Wesley Wilcox, president of the Florida Supervisors of Elections. “In hindsight, we probably should have done it 8 or 9 months ago,” Wilcox said. “But it needs to be done, just to protect the foundation of this democracy.”

Full Article: ‘Tone down the rhetoric’: Florida elections officials tell politicians to chill out