Vote-by-mail works in Florida. Here's what to know | Opinion

Another election cycle brings another round of attacks on vote-by-mail — but the criticism doesn’t match Florida’s track record. The state has built a system that is both accessible and secure, and voters shouldn’t be scared away from using it.

FULL STORY: Are you scared to vote by mail? Florida’s safeguards tell a different story | Opinion

Here are key takeaways:

• Vote-by-mail is practical, not political. More than 3 million Floridians used it in the 2024 presidential election, including over 290,000 in Miami-Dade County — a lifeline for voters with limited mobility or packed schedules.
• Florida’s safeguards work. The state verifies voter identities, protects ballot security and flags irregularities before counting. Even Gov. Ron DeSantis called Florida the “gold standard” in election security after 2020.
• Fraud claims don’t hold up. The Brookings Institution found about four out of every 10 million mail-in ballots resulted in fraud — vanishingly rare and rarely consequential to outcomes.
• The loudest critic uses it himself. President Donald Trump has attacked vote-by-mail as corrupt while casting mail ballots in 2020 and again this year in a Palm Beach County special election. If it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for the rest of us.
• Make a plan. Mail ballots for the Aug. 18 primary start going out July 9; the request deadline is Aug. 6 at 5 p.m. For the Nov. 3 general election, request a ballot by Oct. 22.

The summary was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.