September 18, 2023
TALLAHASSEE — All Voting is Local Action Florida sent a letter today to the Brevard County Commission to ask that the office not cut election funding for key vote-by-mail materials.
Last week, the commission voted to eliminate the county supervisor of elections’ funding for mailing sample ballots to all registered voters. In addition, it voted to cut funding for prepaid return postage on vote-by-mail ballots.
A final budget hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19, where the commission will have the option to fully fund the Brevard County Supervisor of Elections’ budget request.
If the funding cut is confirmed, this decision would affect voters by not giving them a resource to stay informed about what their ballots will look like on Election Day. This could result in longer voting lines if voters are not able to research their options before heading into the voting booth, especially on less publicized races and complex constitutional amendments. This hurdle could discourage some people from voting at all.
Additionally, the lack of funding for paid postage places the burden on voters to take extra steps to buy their own stamps.
“Brevard County voters like to vote by mail. In fact, nearly a third of voters (32.9 percent) voted by mail in the 2022 general election. All of these voters benefitted from the elections office providing paid postage for the return of their ballots. Paid postage for vote-by-mail ballots helps all voters, but it is especially helpful for elderly and disabled voters and others with health issues that impact their mobility. It also improves access for voters who are otherwise unable to go to a postal office to obtain postage to return their ballots,” the letter reads.
The full letter can be found here.