Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Governor's 'ballot integrity' proposal would limit Florida voting by mail

Ron DeSantis

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed a slew of election changes mostly aimed at restricting mail voting, which he and other Republicans erroneously claim is riddled with fraud.

During a Friday news conference, DeSantis said his proposal would protect the state's election integrity, and at the same time touted Florida's election system as the most "transparent and efficient" in the country.

In last year's election, more than 9 million Floridians cast their ballot early, either in person or by mail — a 41 percent increase from 2016. And former President Donald Trump, who instigated the attacks on mail voting, won the state and its 29 electoral votes by 3 percentage points.


DeSantis' proposal would codify the current practice of not proactively sending mail ballots to all eligible voters. Further, voters would need to submit a vote-by-mail request each year instead of every two years. The governor also seeks to limit the use of drop boxes, so voters would have to return ballots by mail or at a local elections office.

Other elements of the plan include a limit on who can turn in ballots for another person ("ballot harvesting") and a ban on third-party funding for county-led voter drives.

"Last November, Florida held the smoothest, most successful election of any state in the country. While we should celebrate this feat, we should not rest on our laurels," said DeSantis, who has emerged as a potential 2024 presidential contender. He added that by taking these actions Florida would remain a leader on election integrity.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

DeSantis wants the Legislature to take up his proposal when it convenes in Tallahassee next month. GOP lawmakers, who control both the state House and Senate, have already introduced their own bills to restrict voting by mail.

Florida isn't the only state where Republicans are pushing for limits to mail voting, though. In two-thirds of the states, legislators are considering more than 165 bills to restrict mail voting and impose voter ID requirements, among other changes.

Experts have repeatedly debunked claims of voting in the 2020 election. A recent report by MITRE Corporation reiterated this by concluding there was "no evidence of fraud, manipulation, or uncorrected error" in the eight battleground states.

Read More

Business professional watching stocks go down.
Getty Images, Bartolome Ozonas

The White House Is Booming, the Boardroom Is Panicking

The Confidence Collapse

Consumer confidence is plummeting—and that was before the latest Wall Street selloffs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Drain—More Than Fight—Authoritarianism and Censorship
Getty Images, Mykyta Ivanov

Drain—More Than Fight—Authoritarianism and Censorship

The current approaches to proactively counteracting authoritarianism and censorship fall into two main categories, which we call “fighting” and “Constitution-defending.” While Constitution-defending in particular has some value, this article advocates for a third major method: draining interest in authoritarianism and censorship.

“Draining” refers to sapping interest in these extreme possibilities of authoritarianism and censorship. In practical terms, it comes from reducing an overblown sense of threat of fellow Americans across the political spectrum. When there is less to fear about each other, there is less desire for authoritarianism or censorship.

Keep ReadingShow less
"Vote" pin.
Getty Images, William Whitehurst

Most Americans’ Votes Don’t Matter in Deciding Elections

New research from the Unite America Institute confirms a stark reality: Most ballots cast in American elections don’t matter in deciding the outcome. In 2024, just 14% of eligible voters cast a meaningful vote that actually influenced the outcome of a U.S. House race. For state house races, on average across all 50 states, just 13% cast meaningful votes.

“Too many Americans have no real say in their democracy,” said Unite America Executive Director Nick Troiano. “Every voter deserves a ballot that not only counts, but that truly matters. We should demand better than ‘elections in name only.’”

Keep ReadingShow less
Hands outside of bars.
Getty Images, stevanovicigor

Double Standard: Investing in Animal Redemption While Ignoring Human Rehabilitation

America and countries abroad have mastered the art of taming wild animals—training the most vicious killers, honing killer instincts, and even domesticating animals born for the hunt. Wild animals in this country receive extensive resources to facilitate their reintegration into society.

Americans spent more than $150 billion on their pets in 2024, with an estimated spending projection of $200 million by 2030. Millions of dollars are poured into shelters, rehabilitation programs, and veterinary care, as shown by industry statistics on animal welfare spending. Television ads and commercials plead for their adoption. Stray animal hotlines operate 24/7, ensuring immediate rescue services. Pet parks, relief stations in airports, and pageant shows showcase animals as celebrities.

Keep ReadingShow less