Lack of access to mail-in ballots could be 2020’s “hanging chad.”

In 2000, the words “hanging chad” entered the political lexicon as the world anxiously awaited the outcome of the presidential contest between Texas Governor George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore. It took more than a month to count and recount Florida’s presidential ballots because of voting machine flaws.

This year, amid a global pandemic and on the cusp of a presidential election, Florida is again threatening to make headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Wisconsin’s recent primary, which Republican lawmakers bungled by refusing to delay the primary and extend the state’s vote-by-mail period, gives us a taste of what awaits us in November if we don’t move fast to secure Floridian’s right to vote. Thousands of voters put their lives at risk waiting in long lines and the rain to cast ballots. Some were turned away when the polls closed, and turnout was well below usual levels. Alarmingly, tens of thousands of absentee ballots were expected to arrive too late to be counted and election commissioners quarreled over whether to count mail-in ballots that didn’t have the right postage. More important, 19 people who voted in person or worked at a polling site have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Fears over in-person voting and a lack of access to mail-in ballots could well become this year’s “hanging chad.”

Fortunately, Florida has laid the groundwork to contend with this unprecedented crisis and we have an opportunity to flip the script on past voting fiascos by leading the nation with a universal voteby-mail policy for this year’s upcoming elections. It is already one of 33 states that allow no-excuse-needed absentee voting and I have called on Gov. Ron DeSantis to reallocate funds designated for typical election expenditures to mail absentee ballots and balloting materials to every registered voter.

This is the only way we can ensure the integrity of our election and that every Floridian hoping to make their voice heard can do so safely. The stakes have quite possibly never been higher for a presidential election, but no one should be asked to put their life on the line to cast a ballot.

We cannot allow COVID-1919 to suppress the voter turnout for the 2020 elections. During our state’s shelter in place period, more and more citizens are turning to Facebook and other social media sites for information on how to manage their lives during the pandemic. These sites are prime hunting spots used by Russian operatives to post false information to spread fear among uninformed and vulnerable people and interfere in our elections. They will say things like the virus is raging again and there are 16 cases in your neighborhood, causing people to panic and stay away from the polls. That’s why it’s important in this period of uncertainty to vote by mail for this year’s transformative election cycles.

I am hopeful that other public officials will join me to bring about this needed change, but in the meantime, I applaud the recent decision by the Broward Supervisor of Elections Office to send vote-bymail signup forms to all those that haven’t already registered. I urge all other Florida counties take this critical step.

Florida voters are lucky to already have access to a safe and secure vote-by-mail system. Now it’s up to our leaders to expand this program to meet our state’s needs in this time of crisis. I encourage every voter to do their part by visiting MyFlorida.com to learn more about this simple process and sign up to have a ballot delivered by mail.

TONY DEJAK/AP Florida voters are lucky to already have access to a safe and secure vote-by-mail system. Now it’s up to our leaders to expand this program to meet our state’s needs.