Sunshine Sentinel

The Florida Legislature is taking steps to protect the Sunshine State's election integrity. 

Senate Bill 90, introduced by Sen. Dennis Baxley (R-Lady Lake), was lauded by the Wall Street Journal editorial board for preserving and improving election integrity. It has raised concerns of voter suppression from Democratic critics.  

According to the Wall Street Journal editorial, SB 90 will allow for a week of early voting, only one day less than New York, a state that has garnered attention for its campaign to modernize state election laws. SB 90 would also require voter ID for mail-in ballots, mandate that voters must request mail-in ballots every election cycle to receive them, and allow ballot drop boxes to operate during normal early voting hours.

Election reform packages such as Florida's have received flack over allegations of stifling America's voters, but the Wall Street Journal editorial reports that GOP states did not experience lower black turnout in the 2020 election cycle. Turnout by black voters was highest in Democratic Maryland (75.3%) followed by red state Mississippi (72.8%) and lowest in Massachusetts (36.4%), another Democratic stronghold, the Wall Street Journal reported.

While critics of election integrity bills like Florida’s claim they restrict voter’s access to the polls and limit rights, proponents point to policies in blue states they claim do exactly that. Many states in the Northeast limit the time in which opponents can rally a base through policies that prevent most early voting. According to the Atlantic, “Democrats who have won election after election in states such as New York, Delaware, Connecticut, and Rhode Island have had little incentive to change the rules that helped them win.”

Voters in many Democrat-majority states could see stifled voter rights through a lack of voting opportunities, critics argue. Connecticut does not offer early voting. Mail-in ballots are scarcely allowed in Delaware, President Joe Biden's home state. Meanwhile, in New York, residents must change their registration months in advance if they want to vote in a party primary. 

The New York Governor’s Office reports that New York’s election laws were modified in 2019 to allow eight days of early voting, synchronize federal and state elections, and allow pre-registration for minors.

According to the governor's report, New York is attempting to make early voting "more convenient" for residents. New York is one of 16 states that does not require voter ID at the polls. 

According to the Honest Elections Project, 77% of voters, including 92% of Republicans, 75% of independents, and 63% of Democrats support mandatory voter ID. And 64% of black voters, 77% of Hispanics, and 76% of low-income voters disagree with the idea that presenting a form of ID at the ballot-box is a “burden,” the Honest Elections Project reported.

A March 2021 poll by Rasmussen found that 75% of likely U.S. voters believe potential voters should be required to show photo ID before being allowed to vote, and 21% are opposed to such a requirement.

The Reuters News Agency recently outlined the different aspects the law includes to address election integrity. Such measures include restricting the use of absentee ballot drop boxes to exclusively the early voting period of elections, implementing thorough ID requirements for requesting absentee ballots, requiring voters to reapply for absentee ballots every year, enabling observers to raise objections to election processes, and mandating election assistants stay 150 feet away from ballot boxes.