State lifts voting restrictions in eight Panhandle counties hit by hurricane

Gov. Rick Scott issued an executive order Thursday that eases voting restrictions in eight Panhandle counties where election plans have been severely disrupted by Hurricane Michael.

The storm left more than 400,000 people without power and damaged or destroyed elections offices and polling places across the region.

The counties are Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Liberty and Washington. Together, they represent about 200,000 voters, or less than 2 percent of the statewide total of more than 13 million voters.

Seven of the eight counties (all except Gadsden) are reliably Republican and all eight have a history of above-average turnouts in midterm elections.

Scott’s order gives the eight counties the ability to extend early voting days and to designate more early voting locations, even though the deadline to do so has passed.

The order also allows counties to send mail ballots to an address other than the address of the voter requesting a ballot and to provide mail ballots to a voter’s immediate family member on Election Day without the need for a signed affidavit declaring an emergency.

The order also directs the state Division of Elections and counties to work together to ensure delivery of mail ballots to the thousands of displaced emergency workers so that they can vote.

Secretary of State Ken Detzner said no voting equipment was damaged by Hurricane Michael.

“All election-related equipment, including ballots, are secure,” Detzner said.

Detzner said voting by fax or email is not an option under state law, and is not part of the executive order. Because ordinary communication remains disrupted, voting by fax or email would be “unreliable,” Detzner said in a statement.

“The department is actively reviewing ways to provide more absentee ballots to those voters in the counties severely impacted by Hurricane Michael,” Detzner said.

The largest county battered by the storm, and the county with the most affected voters, is Panama City’s Bay County.

Supervisor of Elections Mark Andersen, appearing on WPAP 92.5 FM, said his staff is busily working to ensure an election.

“We may be in tents,” Andersen told the station. “But your vote will be able to get cast and it will be counted. Bay County will be heard.”

This story was originally published October 18, 2018 at 12:23 PM.