Tampa Bay Times: Tampa election first locally to test new absentee ballot law
“Tampa is a huge city. A major city and it’s one of the first (to deal with the new law),” said Amy Keith, program director for Common Cause Florida, a branch of the national voting rights and government accountability organization.
The extra step required to request a mail ballot for each election makes accessing a ballot harder, especially for the disabled, elderly, working poor and other groups, Keith said.
“It makes it harder to participate, for people to have their voice heard and have a say,” Keith said.
In the November election, one-third of Florida voters cast their ballots by mail, she said.