Florida’s new election law won’t work. Follow Colorado to make every vote count
In his press conference about Florida’s new election law, Senate Bill 524, Gov. Ron DeSantis said, “I don’t think there’s any other place in the country where you should have more confidence that your vote counts than in the state of Florida.”
The facts indicate otherwise.
The pillars of having your “vote count” are access to the ballot and the absence of fraud. By that measure, Florida ranks poorly, and the governor’s election laws have made it worse.
To see a state where voting really does count, look west to Colorado.
Colorado is routinely ranked among the best states in the nation for voting, with high turnout, the country’s strongest election security measures, and low administrative costs. A sad irony is that two of the most important ingredients of Colorado’s successful voting law are the ones that many states, including Florida, have targeted for roll back: drop-off voting in ballot boxes and mail-in voting. In Colorado, 94% of voters choose one of those two options.
Florida’s limits on ballot drop boxes was among the provisions of Florida’s
2021 election law that a U.S. District Court struck down as unconstitutional voter suppression.
DeSantis, to his credit, puts a high premium on bringing “best practices” to Florida. For example, he used the term four times in his administration’s 2020 summary of major accomplishments. But in the case of voting his words have not been matched by action.
There is no shortage of people to speculate on the governor’s intentions. I will pass on the opportunity. My point is far less speculative: To ignore what has been proven to work well (and less expensively) in crafting public policy that impacts people’s lives is unfortunate; even more so when fundamental rights like voting are involved.
RECIPE FOR HIGH TURNOUT
Colorado’s voting system has earned bipartisan support because it offers a triple win: convenience, cost savings for taxpayers, and election security.
Every voter in Colorado receives a mail-in ballot and anyone who is eligible to vote can register on the same day and cast a ballot. Colorado allows 16-yearolds to pre-register to vote and automatically registers all eligible citizens. It has restored voting rights for all non-incarcerated citizens. As a result, the state has consistently ranked among the highest voter turnouts in the country.
Colorado also has the most secure election process in the country. Every vote can be traced and audited with a paper ballot receipt. Election officials have routine security training and technology staff regularly tests systems for network penetrations. Colorado also regularly audits its elections to spot any irregularities.
Florida unfortunately has earned precisely the opposite reputation, with a track record even before this recent legislation of putting additional barriers to voting that do not enhance security.
In most political disputes, there are valid arguments on both sides. I try to take a page from my former boss, U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, that when faced with a position you strongly disagree with “to listen harder.” I have written previously in this opinion page about the opportunities to find common ground.
COMMON GROUND
Here’s a common ground that every Democrat, Republican and unaffiliated voter in Florida should embrace.
If you believe in voter access, the Colorado example offers Florida a better way.
If your priority is voter security, Florida policymakers have a template with a near-decade track record of protections.
If you would like to see government operate more efficiently, Colorado offers an election system that reduced administrative costs by 40%.
Finally, even if you are motivated by the most partisan of intentions in crafting election law, you are still not serving your interests by adding barriers to voting.
Two voting experts wrote in National Affairs magazine after thorough data analysis: “The fact that turnout does not inherently favor either party — at least within the bounds of the sort of turnout imaginable in America — should encourage both parties to promote secure voting and broad access to the polls.”
The bipartisan solution of secure voting and broad access to the polls does exist; it’s passed the test of time, and is ripe for replication.
Free, fair and accessible voting is sacred ground in our ongoing journey toward a “more perfect union.” It should not be trampled on by the continuing raft of legislation in Florida and other states.