Republican plan would eliminate almost all mail voting in Florida

A state senator who is one of the Republican Party’s leaders on voting issues has introduced legislation that would all-but-eliminate mail voting in Florida, affecting millions of people who’ve come to prefer filling out their ballots at home rather than lining up at polling stations.

State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia of Spring Hill, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, filed the measure Friday evening as lawmakers rushed to introduce their ideas before Tuesday’s start of the annual legislative session.

If passed, Senate Bill 1752 would end virtually all mail voting. It would return Florida to the old absentee voting system, restricting mail ballots mostly to people who are away from their home counties during early voting or on Election Day.

“It’s a bad idea,” said Broward Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott, a Democrat, who said mail voting is especially beneficial for working-class voters and people with family obligations. “There are lots of reasons people may not be able to go to the polls in person, and mail voting gives those people the ability to participate.”