Florida Republicans Move To Restrict Vote by Mail
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A key Florida House committee advanced a restrictive elections bill on Monday along a party-line vote. The bill, PCB PIE 21-05, was amended in the House Committee on Public Integrity & Elections and passed early Monday.
PCB PIE 21-05 would curtail Florida’s current law that honors absentee ballot requests for two elections, forcing voters to file a new request every year. It would also make signature matching requirements stricter and limit community ballot collection, where friends, family or voting rights organizations assist voters who cannot get to the polls easily in returning their sealed ballots.
The bill specifies ID requirements for ballot drop box use, requiring voters to show ID to an in-person drop box monitor from the Office of the Supervisor or a member of law enforcement. The address on the voter’s ID must match that on their ballot envelope, and only immediate family members can return a voter’s ballot in their place. If the address does not match, a voter or their family member would have to sign and submit an affidavit attesting to their identity and providing identification or a social security number.
The bill will now be added to the state House calendar for a second reading.