State News
Florida Phoenix – GOP lawmakers move to get rid of ballot drop boxes for mailed ballots; election supervisors protest
Brad Ashwell, Florida director of the national voting advocate organization All Voting Is Local, told senators, “This can’t be seen as anything but an attack on voting rights.”
Tampa Bay Times – Minorities and young voters in Florida had ballots rejected at higher rates in 2020, study finds
“They seem hell-bent on addressing non-issues fueled by misinformation to their base,” said Brad Ashwell, All Voting is Local’s Florida state director. “It’s all based on blatant lies and misinformation.”
Tallahasee Democrat – As GOP looks to restrict Florida mail ballots, advocates unveil report that process worked
"The priorities of the governor and the legislative leadership show they are not heading in the right direction," Ashwell said. "Rather than seeking to improve access to voting, they are hell bent on addressing non-issues fueled by misinformation fed to their base.
Casting, Rejecting, and Curing Vote-by-Mail Ballots in Florida’s 2020 General Election
Against the backdrop of a lethal pandemic, Floridians turned out in record numbers to cast vote by mail ballots in the November 3, 2020, general election. Although the state’s election ran smoothly, more than 47,000 Floridians—the majority of whom were people of color, younger voters, and first-time voters—had to follow-up with their elections supervisor to fix or “cure” their ballots before they could count. In this report, we examine these disparities and offer recommendations on how Florida’s 67 counties can make the process and validating of mail ballots uniform so that all voters can make their voices heard.
The Center for Public Integrity – GEORGIA REPUBLICANS WANT TO RESHAPE VOTING LAWS, BURDENING VOTERS OF COLOR
Groups that wrote the letter urging Cobb to do more said they offered to help find workers for additional sites. “It is not good enough to hear that resources are an issue when you have voting rights advocates and organizations standing by to provide the help that you say that you purportedly need,” said Aklima Khondoker with the Georgia chapter of All Voting is Local. Khondoker and other advocates also pointed out that most other counties in the Atlanta metro area avoided reducing early voting sites for the runoff.
Common Dreams: ‘Reprehensible Power Grab’: Outrage as Georgia House Passes GOP Bill Restricting Voting Rights
Alexander's remarks were echoed by Aklima Khondoker, Georgia state director at the advocacy group All Voting is Local, who said in a statement that "these new bills are a reprehensible power grab that were rushed through committee and never intended to solve the real issues that plagued our elections like long lines, machine malfunctions, and staffing scarcities." "Georgia voters turned out in November and January, making their voices heard through ballot drop boxes, expanded absentee voting, and increased early voting hours," added Khondoker. "That increased access empowered voters to change Georgia's political landscape, and now, the legislature is trying to ensure it never happens again. Georgians must have the freedom to vote in the way that works best for them."