Florida legislators want to prevent recount drama in 2020

Florida state legislators are searching for ways to avert another recount that makes Sunshine State election drama a national punchline.

One bill aims to prevent ballot design flaws, such as the 2018 midterm Broward County ballots that could have cost Democrat Bill Nelson his seat in the U.S. Senate.

A state Senate committee unanimously approved the bill Tuesday.

Broward’s ballot tucked the U.S. Senate race below the instructions in the left column. Thousands of voters skipped over the race and did not vote in the Senate race.

Ballot design experts said the ballot did not follow best design practices and could have confused voters.

The bill also would give voters more time to fix issues with signatures on vote-by-mail and provisional ballots. Counties would be required to notify voters by phone, text message or email if they reject a ballot because of a signature mismatch. Election supervisors would have more time to conduct recounts. Counties would be required to buy voting equipment that could conduct multiple recounts simultaneously. Outdated equipment caused Palm Beach County to miss its recount deadlines.

The deadline to fix signature issues would be extended from 5 p.m. on the day before Election Day to the 11th day after the election.

Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, said work needs to be done on improving the state’s election system, because Florida continues to have issues and problems year after election year.

“It doesn’t mean you have to reinvent everything, but it is certainly a worthy exercise to look at improving things,” he said.

A question exists, though, on whether the House will embrace the changes. House Speaker José R. Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, said some adjustments may need to be made, but he doesn’t think sweeping reforms are necessary.

Democrats want to see more reform.

State Sen. José Javier Rodríguez, D-Miami, wants vote-by-mail ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted up to 10 days after the election, allowing ballots in transit and at postal facilities to be accepted.

He called the changes given initial approval Tuesday the “bare minimum.”

“I wouldn’t even say this is necessarily a tune-up,” Rodríguez said. “I would say this bill is just making sure we have four wheels.”

MIKE STOCKER/SUN SENTINEL FILE Volunteers look over ballots Nov. 17 during the hand count at the Broward County Supervisor of Elections office in Lauderhill.