Resolution 2021-01 Concerning Remote Vote By Mail

Whereas, Florida Statute Chapter101, Section 662 Accessibility of absentee ballots states It is the intent of the Legislature that voting by absentee ballot be by methods that are fully accessible to all voters, including voters having a disability. The Department of State shall work with the supervisors of elections and the disability community to develop and implement procedures and technologies, as possible, which will include procedures for providing absentee ballots, upon request, in alternative formats that will allow all voters to cast a secret, independent, and verifiable absentee ballot without the assistance of another person. and

Whereas, the voting process in Florida, including voter registration and voting materials, are inaccessible to the blind and print disabled; and

Whereas, the Help America Vote Act of 2002 ensures that disabled Americans have the right to vote privately and independently; and

Whereas, technology exists to ensure the blind and print disabled can vote privately and independently; and

Whereas, it is the right of all eligible voting Americans to vote privately and independently; and

Whereas, remote vote by mail is a secure and safe tool for all Americans to exercise their right to vote privately and independently; and

Whereas, the Secretary of State certified a remote vote by mail system in July 2020; and

Whereas, the State of Florida did not make such accessible voting system available to all Florida voters; and

Whereas, only five (5) counties in Florida had the option to use the certified remote vote by mail system; and

Whereas, the remote vote by mail system was not made available or known to the registered voters in all five (5) counties for the November 2020 General Election; and

Whereas, the lack of notice to voters of the availability of a remote vote by mail system infringed upon their right to vote privately and independently; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, by the National Federation of the Blind of Florida in convention assembled this ___ day of October 2021, in the City of Tampa, Florida, that this organization condemn and deplore the lack of notice on the part of the Secretary of State and the Supervisor of Elections in Miami-Dade, Pinellas and Nassau Counties to voters of a remote vote by mail system in time for the November 2020 General Election; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization applaud the Supervisor of Elections Offices in Orange and Volusia Counties for notifying eligible Florida voters that such a remote vote by mail system was available; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization demand that the Department of State implement n accessible a remote vote by mail system statewide; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization call upon the Secretary of State and Supervisor of Elections to work with the National Federation of the Blind of Florida to implement an accessible remote vote by mail system for all Florida voters.