The Florida Federation of Republican Women today issued the Following statement:
“Today Governor Rick Scott has proven once again why he is the one of the most successful governors in Florida history. He has worked diligently for the rights and freedoms of all Floridians and does so once again with his Executive Order 18-283.
Governor Scott knows that the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Michael should not be allowed to impact the voting rights of our citizens in the Panhandle. The Florida Federation of Republican Women are organized in many of the counties hardest hit by the storm. Voting on November 6th has been a critical concern for our members and their families.
Thank you, Governor Scott, for your leadership and for always standing for free and fair elections in Florida.”
Dena DeCamp
President of the Florida Federation of Republican Women
Today, the Governor issued Executive Order 18-283 which gives Supervisors of Elections in Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Liberty, and Washington counties the authority to extend and enhance voting options based on needs and challenges they have identified, including:
- Locally-elected supervisors of elections in the impacted counties are now able to extend the amount of days of early voting, designate additional early voting locations and expedite the delivery and acceptance of vote-by-mail ballots. Each of these locally-elected supervisors of elections have reported significant obstacles created by Hurricane Michael preventing them from administering an election without these accommodations. These obstacles include, but are not limited to, damage to polling locations, extended telecommunications service disruptions, and large percentages of the counties’ population without power. Supervisors of Elections have not reported any damage to voting machines and all election-related equipment, including ballots, are secure.
- The locally-elected Supervisors of Elections in the eight affected counties will be able to determine if additional early voting sites and days are necessary. The early voting period in the affected counties can begin as early as Monday, October 22, 2018, and can extend through election day November 6, 2018.
- The Executive Order extends the registration date for poll watchers to noon on October 26, 2018.
- Executive Order 18-283 directs Secretary Detzner to coordinate with each supervisor of elections in Florida to ensure that Florida National Guard troops, first responders, law enforcement, volunteers, and utility power restoration workers engaged in the recovery efforts in the Panhandle and anyone who evacuated from the storm can cast a ballot.
- The restriction on vote-by-mail ballots being forwarded to a different address has been waived. This will help displaced voters to cast a ballot. The Executive Order also waives provisions so voters in the affected counties can more easily obtain vote-by-mail ballots.
