Ryan Nicol
Florida Democrats called on Gov. Ron DeSantis Wednesday to formally request more than $20 million in federal funding allocated to protect Florida’s elections amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
That money was approved in the more than $2 trillion relief bill approved by Congress earlier this year. Florida, however, is one of a handful of states that have not yet secured the money.
That’s despite late April comments from Secretary of State Laurel Lee that Florida does intend to use the money.
“Gov. Ron DeSantis must not drag his feet on this. He needs to act now,” Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo said Wednesday.
“Today we’re all here to call upon the DeSantis administration to get its act together and take election safety seriously. Voters should not be forced to make a difficult choice between exercising their right to vote and protecting their health.”
U.S. Reps. Donna Shalala and Debbie Wasserman Schultz also joined the Wednesday conference call, as did state Sens. Gary Farmer and Geraldine Thompson.
“I know he’s indicated he plans to tap into the funding, but waiting to do it makes no sense,” Wasserman Schultz added.
“We’re really here to demand that Gov. Ron DeSantis stop dithering and take immediate action to protect our election.”
Local election supervisors have sent multiple letters to the Governor calling on the state for additional flexibility during the upcoming election.
Shalala argued that requesting the money would allow the state to take “important” actions, such as “expanding early voting, vote-by-mail, and providing additional protective equipment for voters, poll workers and volunteers at election sites.”
Added Thompson, “many of the people who have worked the polls in the past are in a vulnerable, elderly population.”
“So our supervisors need to begin to recruit people to work the polls for both August and for November.”
Democrats are asking the state to expand early voting and vote-by-mail, even automatically mailing ballots to Florida voters.
“We’re not talking about a vote-by-mail election only,” Farmer noted, “but why go through the delay and expense and hassle of having vote-by-mail request forms submitted first and only then have the ballots mailed to everyone? Let’s mail ballots to every single registered voter in the state of Florida. That way, come August or November, they will have a choice.”
Farmer said that choice will allow voters to either show up to a polling location or, in the event of a second wave, send their ballot from home.
“It really is a no-brainer,” he argued.
The federal government allocated more than $400 million to help secure America’s elections this cycle. Florida is eligible for approximately $20.2 million of that pot.
“It’s really unacceptable that the DeSantis administration has still not formally requested these funds,” Shalala added.
“This isn’t the Governor’s money. These are the people’s funds.”
Wasserman Schultz argued that without securing that money soon, DeSantis would be responsible for an election-driven outbreak, should there be one.
“The longer he waits, the wider he opens the door to chaos, confusion and calamity this fall.”
2 comments
Sonja Fitch
May 14, 2020 at 5:55 am
Duffus Desantis the perfect goptrump cult puppet is going to do any and every thing to cheat on our elections so goptrump cult leader can have an edge.
Bob
May 14, 2020 at 10:31 pm
Many Americans protesting around the country firmly believe the Democrats would be more than willing to completely destroy the economy if it meant getting rid of President Trump. American citizens aren’t willing to sacrifice their homes, careers, jobs and businesses for another leftist attempt to remove a President.
Joe’s mental health is even more concerning than the platform he supports. Whomever he picks to be his Vice President will be the President.
God Bless America
Democrat Platform & Goals: Leftist Agenda.
(Democrat Taxpayers pay close attention, you’ll pay too)
-End all deportations of illegal aliens, if you get here, you stay. Bernie’s website calls it a “moratorium” on deportations.
Democrats Yes.
Republicans No.
-Citizenship for 20 to 50 million illegal aliens, DACA & TPS recipients with a cost of billions.
Democrats Yes.
Republicans No.
-De-fund & terminate border patrol & ICE.
Democrats Yes.
Republicans No.
-Free Health Care for Illegal aliens, DACA, TPS recipients (taxpayer funded with one estimate at 52 trillion)
Democrats Yes.
Republicans No.
-Ending of all private / employer based health care. “Medicare for all”, Feds run everything.
Democrats Yes.
Republicans No.
-Illegal Aliens eligible for welfare & food stamps. (Elizabeth Warrens plan adopted)
Democrats Yes.
Republicans No
-Free college for all, including illegal aliens. (tax payer funded)
Democrats Yes.
Republicans No.
-Decriminalization of illegal entry into our country.
Democrats Yes.
Republicans No.
-Sanctuary Cities & States.
Democrats Yes.
Republicans No.
-Open Borders.
Democrats Yes.
Republicans No.
-Massive tax increases. All Democrat candidates have committed to tax increases of various amounts.
Democrats Yes tax increases.
Republicans No tax increases.
-Reparations for race’s harmed by Caucasians. Joe committed this to “Reverend” Al Sharpton, support for Sheila Jackson Lee’s racist reparations bill in the House.
Democrats Yes.
Republicans No.
-Drivers licenses for illegal aliens.(already happening in states with Democrat leadership)
Democrats Yes.
Republicans No.
-Opposed to ANY voter ID Laws.(Nancy Pelosi wanted this amendment in the first corona virus bill) I wonder why?
Democrats Yes.
Republicans No.
-AOC’s green new deal.(which would create massive unemployment, 100,000 jobs estimated in the transportation industry alone.)
Democrats Yes.
Republicans No.
There is no moderate wing of the Democrat party. If you vote for Joe Biden, you are voting for Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren’s platform.. Joe will follow the radical left’s agenda (or Joe won’t get the support) of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Valerie Jarrett,. Rashida Talib, Stacy Abrams, Ayanna Pressley, Nancy Pelosi, Sheila Jackson Lee, Tom Perez, Maxine Waters, Al Green, and llhan Omar. This is the core of the socialists leftist wing of the Democrat party and they are firmly in charge.. Most or all have already endorsed Joe Biden, so he obviously has committed to their leftist agenda.
Comments are closed.