Seek Bipartisan Support to Restore Public Confidence in the Voting Process
On the first day of the 2019 Legislative Session, state Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) and state Representative Geraldine F. Thompson (D-Windermere) filed bills to prepare for the 2020 elections and address issues that arose during the 2018 election cycle. HB 1365 and SB 1802 propose several solutions that address issues such as ballot design, vote-by-mail ballots, the recent politicization of the Department of State, and machine recounts. If passed, it would mark the most significant improvements to the voting process in the Sunshine State since the 2000 Election.
“Florida’s history of embarrassing and messy elections goes back to Bush v. Gore and even the Election of 1876,” Rep. Thompson recounted. “It’s time we offered a bipartisan model for accountable, accessible, and accurate elections.”
Sen. Stewart agreed. “Voting is not a partisan issue, so we need to make sure that our election system works for all Floridians. This legislation is important to our democracy and to the success of upcoming elections.”
Sen. Stewart and Rep. Thompson have both listed improving the elections process among their top legislative priorities, along with providing high quality education and protecting the environment.
If adopted, the legislation would take effect July 1, 2019.
