The Monroe County Supervisor Elections, who is retiring this year after more than four decades working in the office, joined the South Florida Roundup on Friday to talk about the challenges elections officials in Florida face in keeping up with the state's new voting laws. And she talked about the upcoming deadlines for voters to cast their ballots by early voting, mail-in and in person.
“I don't understand. This is a Republican state. I live in a Republican county and the Republican legislature is making it harder for people to vote,” Joyce Griffin said Friday. “That doesn't make sense to me. I need them to go and talk to their supervisors, talk to our association, find out what really needs to be changed and what is a knee jerk reaction.”
Since 2021, Florida has added a host of new rules in recent years around mail and early voting. They included new ID requirements, changes to how many ballots a person can turn in on behalf of someone else and limiting after-hours access to drop boxes. Moreover, lawmakers created a controversial new office dedicated to investigating fraud and other election crimes.
The Republican-majority Legislature also enacted voting restrictions that created or enhanced criminal penalties and fines for those who assist voters. The laws have forced some voter outreach groups to cease operations, while others have greatly altered or reduced their activities.
In preparing for the final month leading up to the Nov. 5 presidential election, Griffin reminded voters of key upcoming deadlines.
Monday, October 7, is the final day to register to vote. You can register online:
Early voting begins 15 days before Election Day.
Mail-in ballots must be received by 7 p.m at yiur county elections office.
Griffin joined WLRN's Danny Rivero, who hosted Friday’s show. Below are highlights of their conversation.
READ MORE: League of Women Voter of Broward keeps push on voter participation, voter registrationÂ
Rivero: About these ballot drop boxes - there have been some changes to ballot drop boxes in recent years, these places where someone can drop off a vote by mail ballot instead of mailing it in. What should people be aware of when it comes to those changes and where things are right now?
Griffin: For us [In Monroe County], our one office moved from mile marker zero to mile marker five. And I will tell you. We've had maybe 10 ballots come back not signed and there's a big red X on the back. Make sure you sign your ballot. I don't want the voters to be afraid of not voting by mail because they're worried about their signature. Here, in Monroe County. We check every ballot. As we receive it. That day, if the signature doesn't look like it matches, we send you a letter. If we have your email address, we will email you. And if we have your phone, we'll call you.
Rivero: A lot of people still would like to vote in person on election day. If someone wants to do that and that's how they choose to vote, how can someone check and double check their precinct location to make sure they're showing up to the right place to cast their ballot?
Griffin: Well, there's a few ways. One, All supervisors have to have that information on their website. So you could go to the website and look for “my voter status”. We have just put in the mail. They should be hitting the mailboxes this week. We sent everybody a sample ballot who didn't request a vote by mail ballot, and we have that on the sample ballot also. Or you could just call and we'll tell you, but polling places haven't changed since August [for Monroe County]. So, If you voted in August, just go back to that same location.
Rivero: Now Joyce, you've been working in elections in Monroe County for about 40 years.
What's it been like to follow these elections through all the years - to be working them from the, the very much contested 2000 election here in, in Florida, all the changes that came after that to all these laws that are being passed and “stop the steal” conspiracies and what not. From your perspective, how has it been like to be actually working in elections during this whole time period?
Griffin: I'm actually kind of flattered when people get so interested in their vote. Your vote has come to you by way of a lot of sacrifices and people's lives. Our military has fought for our country and some have lost their lives. I keep them in my mind. I'm trying to do my best so that they can be proud. There is nothing wrong with elections in Florida. Nothing. [Former] President Trump said that he wished all states had elections like Florida. Governor DeSantis pounded his chest and said, we got it right. And yet the legislature feels they need to change things. Why? Because Georgia messed up. There is nothing wrong with Florida.
Rivero: Do you feel, despite all this, we prepared for the November 5th election and confident that everything's in line, that you need to be in line?
Griffin: Oh yeah. We got this. We've had, you know, elections. They will roll out. It's just that my job is to count legal ballots. That's my job. And I don't understand - this is a Republican state, I live in a Republican county and the Republican legislature is making it harder for people to vote. That doesn't make sense to me. I need them to go and talk to their supervisors, talk to our association, find out what really needs to be changed and what is a knee jerk reaction. The supervisors of elections of Florida are a group of wonderful people and we work hard and we get insulted and I get that because people are frightened and people shouldn't be frightened. Your policemen never know when they're going to be free. Doctors never know. People should be able to vote by mail, especially this ballot.
The transcription has been edited for brevity. You can listen to the full conversation above or wherever you get your podcasts by searching: The South Florida Roundup.
