Voting In FL: 59% Plan To Vote By Mail, Not Worried About Fraud

FLORIDA — A majority of Florida residents said they will vote by mail for the Nov. 3 general election, but a narrow majority also worry that mail-in ballots will not be received or counted properly, according to an informal reader survey Patch conducted last week. A majority of survey respondents, 58.6 percent, rejected President Donald Trump's assertion that voting by mail encourages fraud.

A total of 575 Florida Patch readers responded to the voting survey published Aug. 25. The survey, which appeared in questionnaire form on Patch, is meant not to be a scientific poll but only to give a broad idea of public sentiment.

Many commenters said that military families and snowbirds have traditionally voted by mail, and they felt the system has long worked.

"I've been voting by mail for years. I usually drop it off at our courthouse drop-box a few days early...never any lines or problems," wrote one respondent. "Mail-in envelopes have bar-codes and signature verification. I was a former grocery store checker. Most people that buy groceries understand that bar-code purchasing is far more accurate than by checker entry or counting. If there is no bar-code on an envelope or it has a duplicate the computer will kick it out for further inspection and possible felony prosecution."

Registered voters in Florida can now request mail-in ballots for the Nov. 3 general election. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a record number of people are expected to cast their ballots via the mail rather than voting in person.

In Florida, requests for mail-in ballots can be made for all elections through the calendar year. Voters must be registered to make the vote-by-mail request.

"I've always preferred to do early voting for all elections, when available, or in person on Election Day, if not," said a commenter. "That's just been my personal preference, but I believe that voting by mail and early voting are good options for those worried about being in big crowds on Election Day due to Covid-19, especially the elderly or underlying conditions, and those home with kids because of the pandemic."

A common sentiment for some voters was: "I can go to Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes, restaurants, etc., so going to a voting booth is probably safer."

The Florida Division of Elections says a request for a vote-by-mail ballot may be made in one of these ways:

• Online application on your county Supervisors of Elections' website;
• By email, fax or mail to Supervisor of Elections;
• In person at Supervisor of Elections;
• By telephone call to Supervisor of Elections.

With more Americans expected to vote by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Postal Service has been in the spotlight for mail delay concerns amid recent operational changes. After public outcry, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said the changes are paused until at least after the election. According to NPR, that means post office hours won't be altered, mail processing facilities won't be closed, and existing mail processing equipment and collection boxes will stay.

DeJoy promised that post offices will be ready to handle the anticipated influx of election mail.

Readers had some thoughts on the recent furor over postal changes.

"Trump is trying to rig the election by tampering with the USPS. He will also try to tamper with in person voting machines," said one comment.

"I had confidence in voting by mail until Trump and his appointed PMG slowed down the mail, deliberately sabotaging the system," wrote another.

A returned ballot must be received by the Supervisor of Elections' office no later than 7 p.m. (local time) on Election Day. The postal service recommends that voters mail back their voted ballots at least one week before the Election Day deadline.

Vote-by-mail ballots in Florida may also be returned at secure drop boxes at Supervisor of Elections' main and branch offices and early voting sites in your county. Contact your Supervisor of Elections or visit their website for the location of all vote-by-mail ballot secure drop boxes in the county.

A poll worker said that while Florida's system workers, they worry about other states doing a form of mail-in voting for the first time this year.

"I have been a poll worker for many years here in Pinellas County. And, we have a VERY SAFE and SECURE system in place for tabulating all votes (including Absentee Ballots). However, I DO have concerns about other states that are just now implementing first time "mail-in voting" because that is a totally different process," the commenter said. "It takes many years to establish a process as refined as we have here in our county ... thanks to all the many years of hard work put in by Debra Clark. "Mail-in voting", on the other hand, is very different. Trying to implement this for the first time, at such a late date and on such a large scale is likely to present MANY unnecessary delays and complications when it comes to tabulating the votes. I am definitely concerned about voter fraud in these areas!"

Patch created this survey to find out what readers think about mail-in voting. The survey is not meant to be a scientific poll, with random sampling and margins of error, but is meant to gauge the sentiments of our readers in an informal way.

Many respondents agreed with this comment: "People should be allowed to vote by mail ONLY when they request an absentee or vote by mail ballot. It's simple. Mailing ballots to all registered voters will end with an inaccurate result. I personally know of several deceased people who are still registered to vote & many people who receive mail addressed to the prior owners/ residents of their home."