Tampa Bay has seen a sharp drop in requests to vote by mail ahead of the presidential election, the result of changes to state law that Gov. Ron DeSantis said will make voter rolls more secure.
Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties have far fewer mail-in ballots. Number of ballots requested this year than the 2022 midterm elections.
So far, fewer than 42,000 Pasco voters have requested mail-in ballots for the general election. Compare that to more than 124,400 requests two years ago.
In Hillsborough, fewer than 155,500 applications were filed to vote by mail in the general election, down from more than 335,600 applications. This happened in the midterm elections.
And in Pinellas, the elections office has roughly 232,900 claims on file this year, but more than 332,800 claims on file for 2022.
The drop in requests could mean lower turnout among marginalized or less motivated voters in this election, said Abdelilah Skir, senior strategist at the ACLU of Florida.
Voters’ existing mail-in ballot requests were purged from the county’s system after the 2022 election, thanks to a state law that requires them to re-request a mail-in ballot every two-year general election cycle.
The bill, SB 90, also restricted the use of ballot drop boxes and added requirements for voters who want to change their registration or apply for a mail-in ballot.
Skeel said the bill and other “anti-voting” laws are aimed at seniors and Low income People with physical disabilities or impaired mobility.
“The groups of people who already have extra barriers to voting are going to be hit the hardest,” he said.
Skille worries that people won’t realize they need to re-request their mail-in ballot before it’s too late, which could lead to lower voter turnout this year.
“There are people who are expecting a mail-in ballot this year, but they’re not going to get one, no matter what the circumstances,” he said. “And any number greater than zero is too many.”
Registered voters can request a ballot be mailed to them up to 12 days before the election.
Postal voting has historically It’s popular in Tampa Bay. In the 2022 general election, Voters in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas voted by mail.
With the primary election coming up in August, county election officials say they are prioritizing outreach to voters whose 2022 ballots have expired.
In Pasco, Election Supervisor Brian Corey He said his office sent tens of thousands of postcards to voters whose requests were removed after the 2022 election.
Dustin Chase, communications director for the Pinellas County Election Department, said the county has sent more than 100,000 letters and emails encouraging voters to re-request their mail-in ballots. The department is also using social media, radio, newspapers and billboards to get the word out.
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“We’re just encouraging voters to exercise their right to vote,” he said.
Republican lawmakers passed SB 90 amid a surge in mail-in voting among Democrats who continue to make baseless fraud claims about the 2020 presidential election, which former President Donald Trump lost. Much of the frustration has been directed at mail-in voting, which he has done repeatedly in Florida.
Republicans argued that SB 90 would maintain the integrity of Florida’s elections, while Democrats accused Republicans of appeasing Trump’s claims of voter suppression.
However, ahead of the 2024 election, President Trump appears to support voting by mail.
Earlier this week, the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee announced “Swamp The Vote USA,” a platform to promote mail-in and early voting.
“Republicans must win, and we must use every appropriate tool to defeat Democrats,” Trump said in a video launching the effort. “Whether that’s early voting, absentee voting, voting by mail or voting in person, we’re going to protect the vote.”
In response to President Trump’s push for mail-in voting, the ACLU’s Schuchard said, “We hope that the many public officials who have attacked mail-in voting with both rhetoric and policy over the past few years will recognize that now is the time to end it.”
How to request a postal ballot
Voters who want to request a mail-in ballot can call or visit their county elections office, fill out an online form, or submit a paper request form.
Voters must provide their name, address, date of birth, Florida driver’s license number or state ID number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number, and may also be required to provide a signature.
For more information on requesting a mail-in ballot in Hillsborough, click here.
For more information on requesting a mail-in ballot in Pasco, click here.
For more information on requesting a mail-in ballot in Pinellas, click here.
Fix: This article has been updated since original publication to provide a more complete count of people who requested a mail-in ballot in Hillsborough County in 2022.
