After the August primary elections, we had a peek into what might happen in November with record votes by mail being cast in Florida. Right at the top of the list of concerns/considerations were the record ballot rejections. Consistent with prior election cycles, 1.5% of all votes by mail were rejected with the most common reason being a failure to mail them in by the Election Day deadline. That rate of rejection is ten times the rate of rejection for votes cast in-person. As we sit just six weeks away from Election Day, we already have a record number of requests for votes by mail in Florida with Democrats easily leading the pack in requests. While we won’t know how many ballots are rejected in the general election until we get there, history does have a way of repeating itself. With that in mind, here’s how many votes were rejected based on one’s voter registration in the August primary elections:
- Democrats lost 16,700 votes
- Republicans lost 11,000 votes
- Independent & 3rd parties lost 7,800 votes
If you’re wondering what the implications might be on Election Day, well, multiply those totals by 2.7. That’s how much higher the Presidential Election turnout generally is compared to the August primary elections. If all happened equitably, Democrats would lose 17,100 more votes than Republicans. In a state which has had a recent Presidential election determined by 500 votes, the implications are many. And in several elections, not just the Presidential race. The bottom line remains that the best way to ensure your vote is counted is to vote in person and only to use votes by mail if you aren’t able to vote in person but based on who has requested ballots thus far, it's Democrats who stand to lose the most votes through invalidated ballots in Florida.
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