DeSantis signed an executive order on Thursday that eases voting rules for about 1 million voters in Lee, Charlotte and Sarasota counties, all areas that Hurricane Ian hit hard and that all reliably vote Republican.
Meanwhile, Orange county, a Democratic-leaning area which experienced historic flooding from the storm, received no voting exceptions,
reported the Washington Post.
The accommodations
include extended early voting days and the
ability for voters to send mail-in ballots from addresses not listed in voting records.
Voting rights groups had previously asked the governor to extend the statewide voting registration deadline, which ended on Tuesday, and to add more early voting days, as well as implement other accommodations.
DeSantis complied – but only for the three Republican counties.
“Tens of thousands of Floridians have been displaced, and today’s executive order fails to meet the moment and ensure voting access for all
Florida voters,” said Jasmine Burney-Clark, founder of voter rights organization Equal Ground, in a statement. “Instead, Governor DeSantis is politicizing a natural disaster.”
Executive order makes voting easier in Florida’s Lee, Charlotte and Sarasota counties but not in Democratic Orange county
www.theguardian.com
Extended early voting hours
Mail in ballots with no verifiable addresses
But only in Republican counties
Imagine that