Tampa Bay Times: Tampa election first locally to test new absentee ballot law

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.

Voting by mail has been the most popular way to cast a ballot in Hillsborough County for the last few years, but there’s a new wrinkle for Tampa voters as the March 7 city election approaches.

Last year, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 90, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May, which changed some of the rules for absentee voting.

One important change is that voters have to request an absentee ballot each election season. Previously, requests were good for two general election cycles. For the upcoming Tampa election, voters must request a ballot by Feb. 25.

Last year, even though the law was in effect, the mail-in status of voters was extended until the end of 2022. So Tampa voters will be the first in the bay area to confront the change.

“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.