NewsSportsRestaurantsCOVID-19OpinionUSA TODAYObituariesE-EditionLegals
Jeffrey Schweers and Andrew Marra
USA TODAY NETWORK - FLORIDA
Florida’s new election law wraps up county supervisors in burdensome and contradictory red tape, more duties and responsibilities that will cause unforeseen financial costs, and financial penalties for noncompliance, elections officials said.
And, they added, it will make it harder for people to vote by mail and get those votes tabulated by the deadline set down in state elections law.
Not only did the new law make cumbersome changes, it took the unusual step of making them effective immediately.
That, said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link, has only compounded the complications elections offices are dealing with.
A STATE of Calamity. Those are not the words describing how my house looks after a family visit. They are how the Portuguese are officially describing the state of their country after the Covid pandemic. Seemingly ready to overlook that small issue, their hotels, bars and restaurants found time to put out the welcome mat for British tourists last week. Vaccinated visitors with wallets full of Euros are clearly a tempting prospect for the country’s hard-hit tourist industry. If you plan to visit the Algarve shortly, good luck with your trip. But a word of warning - don’t expect much help from Portuguese officialdom if things go wrong for any reason.
They say it violates the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act. One lawsuit said the law is discriminatory and will disproportionately disenfranchise Black, Hispanic, disabled and elderly voters. Personally, I’m still processing. Obviously the court cases are front and center. But all of the nuances, I’m still digging into, said Wesley Wilcox, supervisor of the Trump-leaning Marion County and the incoming president of the statewide supervisors association.
Florida s new voting law unclear over signature verification
The new law is unclear about the signature verification process for mail-in ballots, Earley said. The law requires a “reasonable access to review ballot materials” before canvassing or voter tabulations, but doesn’t provide more specific guidance than that, he said.