Senator Tina Polsky (D-Boca Raton) and Representative Lindsay Cross (D-St. Petersburg) have filed SB 1486 and HB 1317 for the 2025 Legislative Session to give voters from disaster-affected communities more opportunities to have their voices heard at the ballot box.

The Disaster-Affected Voter Bill of Rights would ensure that all communities and voters affected by disasters have equal opportunity to vote in upcoming elections. The bill would apply to any county designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as eligible for assistance or designated as being in a state of emergency by the Governor.

Key points of the Disaster Affected Voter Bill of Rights include the right to:

• Call the Supervisor of Elections to request a vote-by-mail ballot be sent to a temporary address where they are staying, rather than having to submit a signed statewide form,
• Have their ballot forwarded by the U.S. Postal Service,
• Return ballots to an elections office in a different county or at polling locations on Election Day,
• Two extra days to request, to return and to cure any signature issues with their vote-by-mail ballot, and
• Early voting 15 days before the election through Election Day; utilize mobile polling locations; assign additional early voting sites, offer intake stations beyond early voting hours and hold local ballots at local offices if the post office is impacted.

Bill sponsor Senator Polsky said the bill levels the playing field for affected voters in all counties.

“Floridians deserve the peace of mind that, even in the face of natural disasters like hurricanes, they will be able to easily and fully participate in our elections,” said Senator Tina Polsky. “The response to a natural disaster amidst the election season should be applied uniformly. All voters deserve protection and ease of access when facing emergencies.”

“Natural disasters shouldn’t prevent voters from casting a ballot. During the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, thousands of residents in my district were scrambling to pick up the pieces and rebuild their lives. With their polling places also underwater, the last thing they needed to worry about is where, how, or if they could vote. As a state, we should be looking at ways to make it easier for people impacted by disasters to exercise one of their fundamental freedoms as Americans – voting. These changes will ensure that, come hell or high water, Floridians can exercise their right to vote,” added Representative Lindsay Cross. 

The bill is widely supported by voting rights groups, including the Southern Poverty Law Center, Common Cause Florida, and All Voting is Local Action.

“Florida voters who suffer from the consequences of natural disasters deserve to have an equal opportunity to participate in our elections,” says Aurelie Colon Larrauri, Florida policy associate at Southern Poverty Law Center. “Last year’s hurricane season was the most destructive to date, forcing many Floridians to evacuate due to fear of flooding, tornados, and a multitude of other reasons that led to displacement during and after the storm. That is why we are grateful to Representative Lindsay Cross and Senator Tina Polsky for sponsoring the Disaster-Affected Voter Bill of Rights, which ensures that all Florida voters can cast their ballot in upcoming elections.”

“The unfortunate reality in Florida is that elections often coincide with hurricane season,” said All Voting is Local Action Florida State Director Brad Ashwell. “What doesn’t have to be a reality, however, is natural disasters becoming politicized by the state that will ultimately get to pick and choose which counties’ voters get help and which ones don’t. This bill ensures that a hurricane wouldn’t automatically make it harder for Floridians to vote, as it would equitably spread relief measures across the state like extended vote times and grant more flexible vote-by-mail options while ensuring that election officials have the resources they need.”

“It is common sense to make sure that voters in all counties affected by a disaster have the same opportunities to vote. Our state prides itself on common sense and freedom – let’s ensure those in disaster areas, regardless of which county they live in, have the same access to the ballot as they recover and rebuild their lives,” said Amy Keith, Common Cause Florida Executive Director.