by Bethany Blankley
Floridians living in three counties most impacted by Hurricane Ian – Charlotte, Lee, and Sarasota – will have more time to vote early and in more locations.
Early voting may begin for residents of these three counties as early as Oct. 24, according to a new executive order signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The order allows the supervisors of elections in these counties to extend the number of days for early voting and designate additional early voting locations.
Election Day is Nov. 8.
The order also allows voters in Charlotte, Lee and Sarasota counties to request by phone to have their vote-by-mail ballot mailed to an address other than their address of record.
It also designates and provides notice of the locations for secure ballot intake stations and allows for polling stations to be relocated and consolidated. It also increases the pool of eligible poll workers, within certain parameters, who may serve in Charlotte, Lee, and Sarasota counties.
DeSantis also directed all state agencies to provide aid and assistance to supervisors of elections in Charlotte, Lee and Sarasota counties.
“In the wake of Hurricane Ian, the Florida Department of State has worked with Florida’s Supervisors of Elections and Governor DeSantis to ensure that the 2022 General Election is administered as efficiently and securely as possible across the state and in the counties that received the heaviest damage,” Secretary of State Cord Byrd said. “Florida will continue to lead the way in elections administration in 2022, and I am grateful for and confident that our local elections officials will have all of the resources and support they need to run another successful election.”
The supervisors of elections in Charlotte, Lee, and Sarasota counties reported that polling locations and early voting sites had been damaged by the hurricane and there were extended utility and telecommunications service disruptions. They also said there were fewer poll workers available and voters were still displaced.
No supervisors have reported any damage to voting machines. All election-related equipment, including ballots, are secure, they said.
Byrd and the Division of Elections leadership also conducted continuous outreach and assessed the needs and readiness of counties in or around Hurricane Ian’s path, the governor’s office said. These include Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Dixie, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Taylor, and Volusia counties.
Numerous supervisors of elections have publicly said their counties are ready for the election and that Ian’s impacts will not interfere with their duties.
“This is a testament to the resiliency of Florida’s elections system,” DeSantis said.
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Bethany Blankley is a regular contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “State Rep Cord Byrd” by Florida House of Representatives.
