Tina Polsky, Lindsay Cross hope to make it easier for people to vote after disasters

Voters are energized for 2024, and early numbers reflect the buzz.

A pair of Florida Democrats are pushing legislation to make it easier for people to vote after a natural disaster. Sen. Tina Polsky and Rep. Lindsay Cross have filed bills (SB 1486 and HB 1317) in their respective chambers to afford additional opportunities to vote in disaster areas.

Dubbed the “Disaster-Affected Voter Bill of Rights,” the measure would ensure all voters living in communities impacted by a disaster, such as a hurricane, have an equal opportunity to vote as those in areas unaffected by the disaster.

The measure would allow voters to call the local Supervisor of Elections to request a vote-by-mail ballot at a temporary address. Currently, displaced residents must submit a signed statewide form. The bills would also allow voters to have their already requested mail ballot forwarded by the U.S. Postal Service.

The measures would allow voters to return ballots to an elections office in a different county or at polling places on Election Day, a perk not currently allowed that would provide displaced voters the opportunity to cast a ballot where they are living temporarily in cases where damage to their home or community requires them to relocate to a friend, family, rental, or other living situation necessitated by the disaster.

Additionally, the measure would give voters an extra two days to request or return a ballot or to cure any signature issues with a vote-by-mail ballot. It would also provide for early voting 15 days before the election, through Election Day, with mobile polling locations as an option. The bills would open the option for additional early voting sites, offer intake stations beyond early voting hours, and allow ballots to be held at local offices in areas where post offices are impacted.

The additional voting measures would apply to any county designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the Governor as a declared state of emergency.

“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,” said Cross, whose St. Pete-based district was heavily impacted last hurricane season by back-to-back storms Helene and Milton.

Polsky likewise said voters “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 the democratic process.

“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,” she said.

The measures, filed on Thursday, have already garnered support from voting rights groups.

“The unfortunate reality in Florida is that elections often coincide with hurricane season,” All Voting is Local Action Florida State Director Brad Ashwell said. “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.”

Added Amy Keith, executive director for Common Cause Florida: “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.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center is also on board.

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