Recent changes to voting districts in Bay County, Florida have had a significant impact on the state's midterm elections. Hurricane Ian, a powerful Category 4 hurricane, caused extensive destruction to four deep red coastal counties: Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier. These counties have a total of 1.3 million voters, including 582,743 Republicans, 321 706 Democrats, and 371,390 voters without parties or from smaller parties. The Republican Party has traditionally relied on large margins of victory in this part of the state to offset losses in Democratic-leaning areas.
Governor DeSantis is now considering emergency electoral adaptations for the region that could affect his chances of re-election. He has expressed a desire to change as little as possible and has pointed to Lee and Charlotte counties as the neediest. Lee County Election Supervisor Tommy Doyle has requested an executive order that would allow him to eliminate the traditional Election Day practice of having voters vote at voting centers in their neighborhoods. Many of these facilities were destroyed or are unusable due to the hurricane, and Doyle does not have the staff to care for others. He is proposing 12 super voting sites that would open for early voting and remain open continuously until election day, providing three additional days of early voting.
This would allow anyone in the county to vote in any of the 12 places until Election Day. Doyle is also requesting that Governor DeSantis lift the requirement that voters must request in writing a change of address to which a ballot is mailed. This could be difficult for voters displaced by the storm, so he wants to accept verbal requests for a change of address over the phone. Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd has been touring counties damaged by Ian to assess their election needs and is considering the changes requested by Doyle and other supervisors. Byrd is using an executive order on voting issued after Hurricane Michael as a model. This order authorized super voting centers and an extension of early voting.
He is more skeptical about waiving the signature requirement to send absentee ballots to a different address due to DeSantis' tightening of rules for absentee voting. The deadline for Florida election officials to mail ballots is Thursday. Doyle plans to receive his by mail by then, as do all the other supervisors in the hardest-hit areas. He knows that many mail-in ballots can't be delivered because the houses are badly damaged or have completely disappeared. Other parts of Southwest Florida may need less help to achieve a successful election. In Sarasota County, Ian's impact was much more severe in communities such as North Port and Englewood than in areas of the north such as Sarasota city.
Sarasota County Election Supervisor Ron Turner said he knows of at least one voting center that is no longer available on election day but he's not sure how many he'll lose yet. While supervoting centers make sense in Lee County, Turner said he's not sure if he'll need them in Sarasota. A total of 17 counties have been declared serious disaster areas by the federal government but it is likely that many of them will be able to hold normal elections. Manatee County, just north of Sarasota, was one such county where Ian struck a one-on-one blow causing major power outages, widespread but mostly minor damage to structures and other problems. The storm does not appear to have damaged any voting facilities according to Manatee election supervisor Mike Bennett.
The Impact on Florida Politics
The recent changes to voting districts in Bay County have had a profound effect on Florida's midterm elections and Governor DeSantis' re-election prospects.The state is now considering emergency electoral adaptations for this region that could affect voter turnout in an area critical for Republican success at the polls. The proposed changes include super voting sites that would provide three additional days of early voting and waive the signature requirement for absentee ballots sent to different addresses. These measures could help ensure that all eligible voters are able to cast their ballots despite displacement caused by Hurricane Ian. The impact of these changes on Bay County politics will depend on how well they are implemented and how many people take advantage of them. If successful, they could help Governor DeSantis secure another term in office and ensure that Republicans maintain their majority in this part of Florida. No matter what happens with these proposed changes, it is clear that Hurricane Ian has had a major impact on Bay County politics and will continue to do so for some time.
