Florida
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.
Report: Florida Voters of Color, Young Voters and New Voters More Likely to Have Their Absentee Ballots Flagged for Rejection As Cure Rates Vary by County
TALLAHASSEE - All Voting is Local Florida and Daniel A. Smith, professor of political science at the University of Florida, today released Casting, Rejecting, and Curing Vote-by-Mail Ballots in Florida’s 2020 General Election. Across Florida’s 67 counties, voters of color, new voters, and younger voters disproportionately cast absentee ballots that were flagged to be “rejected as illegal.” This report also highlights a glaring lack of consistency in both the standards used by election officials to initially reject absentee ballots and the ability of voters casting them to resolve outstanding issues.
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.
Cerabino: That mail-in ballot for the Florida governor’s race next year? It might not be in the mail
“This is the opposite of what we should be doing,” Brad Ashwell, the Florida director of the voting rights group, All Voting is Local, told the legislators. “We should make the vote-by-mail option permanent until voters opt out.”
All Voting is Local State Leaders Urge Voter-Focused Election Reforms During 2021 Legislative Period
WASHINGTON – In op-eds for Talking Points Memo, the Arizona Republic, Cleveland.com, Nevada Independent, Tampa Bay Times - and an accompanying Spanish version in the Orlando Sentinel - All Voting is Local Pennsylvania, Arizona, Ohio, Nevada, and Florida state directors share lessons learned from the 2020 general election—with firsthand accounts of how changes spurred by the pandemic affected voters—and urge officials to fix outdated voting systems and expand access to the ballot.