OFFICIALS AREN’T HAPPY ABOUT
WHAT THEY’RE DOING
GREG: JUST WEEKS BEFORE THE
FIRST WAVE OF MAIL BALLOTS ARE
SET TO GO OUT FOR THE NOVEMBER
ELECTION, SUPERVISORS SAY
THEY’RE BEING BOGGED DOWN ONCE
AGAIN BY A FLOOD OF MAIL BALLOT
REQUEST FORMS THAT DID NOT COME
FROM THEIR OFFICES AND OFTEN ARE
DUPLICATES OF FORMS ALREADY
TURNED IN.
LISA: AND TO HAVE SOMEONE COME
ALONG THAT SENDS THIS OUT THAT
JUST PUTS US THREE TO FIVE STEPS
BEHIND WHEN WE’RE TRYING TO GO
FORWARD, IS VERY UPSETTING AND
AGGRAVATING.
GREG: VOLUSIA COUNTY SUPERVISOR
LISA LEWIS TELLS ME VOTERS ARE
CONFUSED AND COMPLAINING.
LISA: A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
CALLING OR EMAILING SAYING "I
HAD A REQUEST, DID SOMETHING
HAPPEN TO IT?
WHY ARE WE GETTING THESE FORMS?"
IT’S VERY AGGRAVATING TO HEAR
FROM THE VOTERS.
THEY ARE UPSET.
GREG: THE VOTE BY MAIL REQUEST
FORMS ARE FROM THE CENTER FOR
VOTER INFORMATION.
IT TARGETS MEMBERS OF WHAT IT
CALLS THE RISING AMERICAN
ELECTORATE -- UNMARRIED WOMEN,
PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND
MILLENNIALS.
2.3 MILLION WENT OUT IN JUNE 8,
-- IN JUNE, 8.5 MILLION MORE IN
RECENT WEEKS.
TOM: WE’RE LIVING IN A MOMENT
WHERE A LOT OF FOLKS ARE PUTTING
UP ROAD BLOCKS TO VOTING.
THAT’S NOT WHAT WE’RE ABOUT.
GREG: TOM LOPACH OF CVI SAYS IT
TRIES TO AVOID SENDING DUPLICATE
REQUESTS, BUT USES THE MOST
CURRENT AVAILABLE VOTER
INFORMATION FROM THE STATE.
TOM: WHAT MATTERS MOST,
ESPECIALLY IN AN ELECTION LIKE
THIS, WITH A PANDEMIC AND
SIGNIFICANT INTEREST UP AND DOWN
THE BALLOT, IS PROVIDING ACCESS
TO DEMOCRACY IS WHAT MATTERS
MOST
GREG: ORANGE COUNTY’S SUPERVISOR
HAS SOME GOOD ADVICE IF YOU GET
ONE OF THESE MAIL BALL
REQUEST FORMS.
BILL: FIRST THING I WOULD DO IS
GO ON THE WEBSITE AND CHECK TO
SEE IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A
REQUEST.
GREG: VOTERS AND ELECTIONS
OFFICIALS CAN EXPECT TO SEE MORE
OF THESE MAILINGS WITH ANOTHER
2.7 MILLION REQUESTS GOING OUT
AFTER LABOR DAY.
GREG FOX, WESH 2 NEWS.
STEWART: IN JUST THE LAST COUPLE
OF WEEKS, SUPERVISORS IN ORANGE,
LAKE, AND VOLUSIA COUNTIES TELL
US THEY’VE RECEIVED MORE THAN
25,000 MAIL BALLOT REQUEST
FORMS, ALL FROM THE CENTER F
