This story was originally published by The Florida Trib.

The number of vote-by-mail requests for Florida’s August primary elections is sharply lower than in previous election cycles, likely reflecting increased partisan attitudes about mail ballots and the effects of tighter restrictions state lawmakers enacted in 2021.

The number of vote-by-mail requests has been cut in half since 2022’s primaries, from over 4 million to 1.9 million this cycle, according to an analysis of the latest available data. The decline in mail ballots is notable given the historically significant role mail ballots have played in Florida elections, a trend that often benefitted Republican candidates.

Sean Freeder, director of the University of North Florida’s public opinion research lab, says there’s a number of reasons for the decline, including the effect of the political rhetoric surrounding them in recent years from Republican leaders, and especially President Donald Trump, who has called mail ballots “inherently corrupt.”

Freeder says this kind of language could be influencing Florida’s GOP voters to avoid the practice.

“Republican voters hearing someone at the top of their party say over and over again that this is a problem, they might take that at face value and they may voluntarily decide to move away from mail-in voting.” Freeder said.

He also attributed the decline to Florida’s tighter restrictions on voting by mail.

Signed into law in 2021 by Governor Ron DeSantis, Senate Bill 90 required Floridians to request a new vote-by-mail ballot for every even-numbered year, instead of receiving one automatically.

Duval County supervisor of elections Jerry Holland sees SB 90 as a security measure.

He said the legislature at the time was “..attempting to make sure that there wasn’t any potential for fraud.”

Critics of that argument include Freeder.

“On one hand, you don’t want people who are in every way as citizens legally eligible to vote to have obstacles put in their path. But on the other hand, you can imagine, if we did have significant amounts of voter fraud specifically related to vote-by-mail, that could justify the trade-off,” Freeder said.

“I would not say that the election science supports the idea that the trade-offs are worth it there.”

Rhona DiCamillo, president of the First Coast chapter of the League of Women Voters, said she’s seen behind the scenes when it comes to mail-in voting, and she trusts the process.

DiCarmillo said she’s sat in on canvassing boards and watched election officials go over mail ballots with a fine-toothed comb, and she has no concerns of voter fraud by mail.

“It’s as safe a form of voting as going in person,” DiCamillo said.

That view is shared by Rodney Hurst Sr., the civil rights leader who currently serves as a vice president of Jacksonville’s NAACP.

Hurst sees SB90 as a form of voter suppression.

“There are no percentages of any note that say voter fraud is a problem in this country. ” Hurst said.

“Mail-in ballots have been essential for a lot of folk who are not mobile enough to go to the polls but still want to vote.. why would you stop them from doing it altogether? There are no answers for that.”

Despite the bill’s criticism, Holland disputed the notion that it infringes on people’s right to vote.

“It’s just a matter of voters being informed, and that’s what our office does.”

Holland said that his office uses every available method to keep the public notified on the new voting procedures.

In addition to mail and email, Holland says that he and his team use “..social media, TV and radio interviews, information on billboards and other mediums to let voters know to renew their vote-by-mail and to request them.”

Although the deadline to request a mail ballot has passed, voters who already have one can still turn it in.

Completed ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Elijah Lott is a freelance writer and student journalist at Florida A&M University’s School of Journalism & Graphic Communication.
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