Mail-in ballot requests lag ahead of August's Florida primary

Florida’s SB 90, enacted by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2021, mandates that voters renew their mail-in ballot requests every two years instead of every four years. This change has resulted in a significant drop in mail-in ballot requests for the upcoming August midterm primary election in counties like Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas. Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley reported only 22,000 requests so far, compared to 77,000 at the same stage in the 2024 general election. Corley linked the decline to claims that mail-in voting enables fraud, though he plans outreach to reassure voters of its security. In Sarasota County, request volumes remain steady, attributed to proactive election notices sent to all registered voters. However, voting rights advocates argue the law disproportionately impacts lower-income individuals, seniors, and people with disabilities. A 2021 lawsuit by the Florida NAACP and Disability Rights Florida claimed the law discriminated against Black voters, though an appeals court later overturned a lower court’s ruling against it. Felicia Bruce, president of the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans (FLARA), warned that seniors—especially those without digital access or lost identification—may miss the renewal deadline. Laura-Lee Minutello of Disability Rights Florida highlighted the ‘information gap’ for disabled voters, who often lack reliable broadband or documentation. With two months until the primary, advocates fear many eligible voters will be disenfranchised by the stricter rules. The law assumes voters have consistent access to supporting documents and technology, a barrier for those in rural areas or with disabilities. Officials in affected counties are working to mitigate the impact, but concerns persist about voter turnout among vulnerable groups. The decline in requests underscores broader tensions over election accessibility and misinformation in Florida’s political landscape.