The Sarasota Herald Tribune originally published this OpEd by Gene Jones, President, Florida Veterans for Common Sense. It was titled, Voting changes would hurt military members, others

By Gene Jones, President, Florida Veterans for Common Sense

A new bill advancing in the Florida legislature could threaten the future of Florida elections.

H.B. 7061 would make it harder for Floridians to vote by mail. The potential impact of these bills on active-duty military members, veterans, seniors and even those with disabilities could be devastating.

One provision of the new proposal would require voters to share additional private information on their mail ballot—this despite a remarkable record of security and transparency in Florida elections over the years, and despite those voters providing identifying information before applying for a ballot in the first place. Another provision would add confusing new steps to the mail voting process, changing the way many Floridians have voted for years. Any mistake on these new steps could risk your ballot being thrown out and your vote not counted.

In the 2020 election, nearly five million Floridians voted by mail—many of them veterans, seniors, or individuals with disabilities. I cast my ballot by mail because it was a safe and secure way to have my voice heard. Amid all that’s been said on the national stage about the 2020 election, I’m proud to know that Gov. DeSantis called our state’s contest “the most transparent and efficient election anywhere in the country.” And whether you voted by mail like me or cast a ballot in person, I’m proud to know that our state’s elections officials, some of the best in the country, made that happen.

Those election officials proved that Thomas Jefferson was right when he said, “The government closest to the people serves the people best.” So, it is confusing that legislators who profess deep belief in this idea, have decided to go against it, and it is why I take notice when our election officials speak up about the proposed changes to our state’s election rules—their concern appears serious.

One supervisor of elections called the plan a “recipe for disaster.” Another warned that changes to instructions for mail voting could pose serious difficulties for many Florida voters. A third laid it out as clearly as anyone, warning that these rule changes could “disenfranchise voters, complicate the process and make it much more difficult for us to get our vote-by-mail ballots tabulated by election night.” It’s crucial that Florida lawmakers hear those concerns and keep them in mind when considering changes to our state’s election rules.

Florida is home to 1.4 million veterans who’ve served our country in conflicts from World War II to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan—and that isn’t counting the tens of thousands more on active-duty who continue to serve today. Florida is also home to 67 election supervisors who serve our country by running our elections well. Together, we all serve to uphold the promise of fair and free elections. Together, we’re counting on the lawmakers we sent to Tallahassee to make our elections great for generations to come. Together, bound by our service to our country and our communities, we’re the patriots calling on those lawmakers to heed our call and stand up for our freedom to vote.