The comments below were given to the Senate Rules Committee on April 16, 2021 by Deputy Director Jonathan Webber.
Good morning my name is Jonathan Webber and I’m the Deputy Director of Florida Conservation Voters.
Unfortunately, SB 90 is a step backwards. While we appreciate the sponsor’s willingness to continue to work on this bill, there are still some problematic provisions.
For example, we oppose limiting vote by mail drop box use to Early Voting hours at SOE’s Offices when the box is a permanent fixture with 24-hour security. On behalf of the service industry of which I was a member for years and the thousands of essential workers who find themselves working the night shift, sometimes our days begin at 2 a.m. when we get off work. Voting should be easy even for those of us who don’t have traditional 9-5 jobs and 9-5 lives.
Additionally, we oppose the provision in Section 22, paragraph 2 that limits the number of vote by mail ballots a person can drop-off. Families are families whether they are immediate relatives or not. This bill discriminates against those who do not have “traditional” immediate family nearby and live with a family as they define it, not the state. It also limits how many ballots a person can drop off for free, which can only make it harder for a caregiver or neighbor to help out their community. It should be up to the voter who they trust to simply drop off their ballot, not the state. Ballots belong to the voter, not the state. I urge you to please vote no. Thank you.
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Thank you, Conservation Voters!