Cured from Rejection? Vote-by-Mail Ballots in Florida’s 2020 General Election

• In Event: Race, Voter Suppression, and Institutions’ Impact on Voters and Outcomes

Abstract

The 2020 General Election set records across the states for the number of ballots cast by mail. In the battleground state of Florida, a record number of Vote-by-Mail (VBM) ballots—some 4.63 million—were cast by non-military, domestic voters in the November 3, 2020 election. Of these, over 47,000 on-time VBM ballots were initially rejected by election officials across the state’s 67 counties. This 1.0 percent rejection rate would have been on par with previous presidential elections in Florida; however, more than 34,000 voters—some 72.9 percent of those who cast VBM ballots that were initially rejected due to a problem with the return envelope—were able to “cure” their ballots by the state’s November 5 deadline. We argue that certain voters likely faced higher barriers when trying to cure their ballots—lower income and those in marginalized precincts, racial and ethnic minorities, younger voters, and rural voters—were less likely to cure their flagged VBM ballots. Drawing on information contained in publicly available voter files, we survey all those who initially had their ballot VBM flagged for a problem. We ask about their experiences voting by mail, and whether they had to cure their ballot, and if so, if they thought they did so successfully. We ask these VBM voters, who we know from the administrative record had a problem with their VBM ballots, if (or how) they learned that their VBM ballot was initially flagged for rejection, if (or how) they were contacted and by whom concerning their return envelope (e.g., local election officials, a ballot tracking website, voting rights groups, political parties, candidates, etc.), and the timing of such notification. We also ask respondents about their experience with the cure process, specifically if (or how) they obtained, filled out, and returned an affidavit cure form. Although all voters in Florida who cast VBM ballots that are initially flagged for rejection by election administrators are accorded the opportunity to cure their ballots, not all are able to do so, raising questions about equal access to the ballot.

Authors

• Enrijeta Shino, University of Florida

• Daniel A. Smith, University of Florida

• Brandi Martinez, University of Florida

• LaRaven Temoney, University of Florida