Vote By Mail is Safe in Florida.

Dear Republicans:

Hope you are all staying safe and practicing social distancing during this terrible pandemic that we are suffering through. It certainly has changed the dynamics of the election process with people concerned with any social contact. What this will mean to live in-person voting at polling stations remains to be seen, but for sure, it will have a major impact. It is also understandable that Vote by Mail will be huge with people fearful to venture out of their houses and face large crowds. It is expected that the Vote by Mail ballots will be near 40% of all the votes cast. This is huge.

It has to be understood by all that Vote by Mail (which is the same thing as Absentee Ballot voting) in Florida has been going on for over 10 years, and per a recent conversation with our Charlotte County Supervisor of Elections, there never has been a single ballot found to be  illegal. This is a phenomenally safe track record.   

So, why is there so much confusion on the safety and use of it? That is easy. Many states are just not as well organized and well managed. Their systems are antiquated and their process control is poor. Some states permit canvas balloting, where forms are just blasted out to everyone. These are the states that President Trump is concerned with and he should be. However, Florida is not one of them. 

What we need to do is spread the word that it is completely safe to Vote by Mail in Florida. The Democrats are pushing this with an all-out effort, since they think the confusion will result in some Republicans just not voting. They are strategizing they will get huge numbers of votes with Vote by Mail, because they know it is safe and secure in Florida. This is a major problem that we must address. We need to assure every Republican or NPA that has concerns about Vote by Mail that there are no problems with it in Florida.

To Vote by Mail in Charlotte County, you need to contact the Charlotte County, Supervisor of Elections to request a Vote by Mail ballot. This can be done on their web site which is charlottevotes.com or stopping by or mailing to the office at 227 Taylor Rd., Punta Gorda, 33950, or by calling their office at 941-833-5400. 

 

The same request process exists for Lee and DeSoto Counties. Below is their contact information:

Lee County’s web site for the Supervisor of Elections is https://www.lee.vote/. The main address is 2480 Thompson St., 3rd floor, Fort Myers, Fl., 33901. The phone number is 239-533-8683.

DeSoto County’s web site for the Supervisor of Elections is votedesoto.com. The address is 201 E. Oak St., Suite 10104, Arcadia, Fl. 34266. The phone number is 863-993-4871. 

 

The re-election of President Donald J. Trump goes through capturing the State of Florida. It is in our hands, so we need to make sure to get out the message that Vote by Mail is perfectly fine. We will need every single vote to win. 

 

Stay safe and stay strong. 

Thank you, Gene Murtha