Advocate emphasizes there are no major changes to state election laws this year

With Americans showing increasing concern about the integrity of the midterm elections, a Florida voting rights advocate said Thursday that there have been no major changes to election laws in the Sunshine State this year, and that individuals should not hesitate to cast ballots either by mail, in early voting, or on Election Day.

Amy Keith, executive director of Common Cause Florida, spoke during a remote news conference at which national Common Cause organization promoted its “Election Protection” hotline, which voters can contact to get voting assistance if required.

“Florida is a great example of why voters need yearlong election protection,” Keith said. “There have been so many headlines around voting recently and there are actors deliberately spreading disinformation and trying to make people afraid of voting. This means that even experienced voters are concerned and, in some cases, confused about what the rules are for voting this year.”

One issue that might confuse voters is whether they could cast ballots by mail. The answer to that (for now) is “yes,” following an order by the U.S. Supreme Court this week blocking the Trump administration from implementing rules that would have allowed the U.S. Postal Service to block certain people from casting mail-in ballots.

The Florida Legislature did pass a major election bill during this year’s session (HB 991) that will require proof of U.S. citizenship to register vote, but it will not go into effect until next year.

“The thing about HB 991 is that it doesn’t change anything for voters in 2026,” Keith said. “Common Cause and our allied voting rights groups are challenging that law in federal court, but the most important thing for voters to know right now is that there are no changes to Voter ID for Florida voters in 2026.”

An election law that remains in place for Florida voters is that if they want to vote by mail, they must request a mail-in ballot from their local supervisors of elections. A 2021 law requires Florida voters to request a new mail ballot in every even-numbered year, instead of receiving one automatically. That change resulted in the number of vote-by-mail requests for last month’s primary election being reduced in half from the 2022 primary election, according to the Florida Trib.

According to a Gallup poll published in July, 67% of Americans expressed concern about political leaders pressuring election officials to change election outcomes. Another 57% expressed concern about ballots not being properly handled, counted or secured, and 52% expressed worry about voting intimidation near polling places.

Although it appears voters nationally who are eligible will be able to cast ballots mail following the Supreme Court’s intervention, another issue that has Common Cause concerned that the Trump administration has said it is considering sending Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to polls this year.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said earlier this month that ICE would not patrol polling locations, but a DHS spokesperson told Politico that if there is “an active public safety threat endangering a polling location, [individuals] may be arrested as a result of that targeted enforcement action.”

“We are challenging the Trump administration’s plan to allow ICE officers at polling places during the upcoming election,” said Carol Evans, vice president for policy for Common Cause. “Federal law has kept armed federal officers out of polling places for over 150 years. And the Justice Department has upheld this protection for decades. Sending armed federal officers into polling places is voter intimidation.”

Regarding the Election Protection program, Keith said, Common Cause will train and field hundreds of volunteers in more than 30 counties across Florida to assist and support voters during early voting and on Election Day to “respond rapidly to anything impacting the ability of voters to cast their ballot.”

Common Cause’s election program number is 866-OUR-VOTE.