Voting access expanded in Florida counties impacted by Hurricane Helene

MONDAY MARKS THE FINAL DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN FLORIDA.

RESIDENTS THERE HAVE REASON TO BE SIDETRACKED FROM THE ELECTION –

GIVEN SOME COUNTIES ARE STILL RECOVERING FROM HURRICANE HELENE – 

AND OTHER COUNTIES ARE PREPPING FOR HURRICANE MILTON – NOW A CATEGORY FIVE – EXPECTED TO HIT THE TAMPA BAY AREA THIS WEEK.

DUE TO THE ACTIVE HURRICANE SEASON –

THE GOVERNOR HAS MADE CHANGES IN HOPES OF MAKING VOTING EASIER FOR IMPACTED FLORIDIANS.

THE FLORIDA SUPERVISORS OF ELECTIONS ALERTED THE GOVERNOR ABOUT SIGNIFICANT DISRUPTIONS CREATED BY HURRICANE HELENE –

 INCLUDING DAMAGE TO MANY EARLY VOTING SITES AND POLLING LOCATIONS, WHICH HAS DISPLACED VOTERS AND MADE POLL WORKERS UNAVAILABLE.

IN RESPONSE, DESANTIS ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER –

ALLOWING ELECTION SUPERVISORS IN TEN AFFECTED COUNTIES TO ADAPT THEIR VOTING PROCEDURES. THIS INCLUDES ESTABLISHING MORE IN-PERSON VOTING CENTERS, ADDING NEW LOCATIONS FOR VOTE-BY-MAIL DROP BOXES, AND ALLOWING BALLOTS TO BE MAILED TO TEMPORARY ADDRESSES AT A VOTER’S REQUEST.

DESANTIS SAYS THE SECURITY OF THE ELECTION WILL NOT BE IMPACTED BY THE CHANGES IN SELECT COUNTIES.

DESANTIS SAYING DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE –

“if there’s a polling place that’s been destroyed, you have an ability to set up a different site, provide proper notice and follow all the rest of state law, but this will ensure that residents that were impacted by this storm and displaced, maybe, still have the ability to vote in November’s election.”

THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME FLORIDA HAS GRANTED FLEXIBILITY TO ELECTIONS OFFICIALS AFTER A MAJOR STORM; SIMILAR ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE FOLLOWING HURRICANE MICHAEL IN 2018 AND HURRICANE IAN IN 2022.

DESPITE SOME CHANGES TO ALLOW FOR MORE VOTER FLEXIBILITY –

THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER IN THE STATE IS STILL BY END OF DAY MONDAY.

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