DeSantis Issues Order to Allow Election Changes in Wake of Hurricane Milton

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on Thursday allowing for voting-related changes in counties devastated by Hurricane Milton, which struck the state just two weeks after Hurricane Helene. This marks the second time in a month that voting flexibility has been granted to help counties recover from storm damage.

Voting Adjustments Following Hurricane Milton

Milton made landfall in Sarasota County last week, causing widespread flooding, dozens of tornadoes, and severe destruction across the state. Before Milton, Hurricane Helene had made landfall on September 26, causing significant damage to the Gulf Coast, particularly in Taylor County.

DeSantis’ order permits supervisors of elections in storm-hit counties to consolidate polling sites and provide more flexible access to mail-in ballots for displaced voters. “The order allows supervisors to make modest accommodations if there’s damage to their voting sites because of the storm,” said DeSantis during a press conference in Sarasota. The order also extends early voting at supervisor offices in hard-hit counties like Pinellas and Taylor, ensuring voters can cast their ballots despite the destruction.

Coordinated Recovery and Voting Plans

The counties affected by Hurricane Milton and now included in the executive order are Collier, Glades, Highlands, Indian River, Manatee, Orange, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, and St. Lucie. This comes after similar flexibility was provided to counties impacted by Hurricane Helene. James Satcher, Supervisor of Elections in Manatee County, emphasized the challenges brought on by the back-to-back storms. “We were only going to move one polling place after Helene, but after Milton, we have more sites to move and combine,” said Satcher.

In response to the storms, election supervisors across the affected areas are scrambling to inform voters of changes to polling locations. With mail-in voting already underway, communication efforts have intensified to ensure voters know where and how to cast their ballots. Some counties, like Pinellas, have launched dedicated web pages to inform the public about storm-related adjustments. “Despite any weather-related obstacles, every eligible voter will have the opportunity to cast a ballot,” said Julie Marcus, Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections.

Ensuring Voter Access Amid Disruption

With 15 precincts damaged in Pinellas County alone and more than 25 polling locations relocated, election supervisors are taking extensive steps to minimize disruption. For example, eight polling sites in Sarasota County have been relocated due to damage, while consolidated voting centers have been established for the hardest-hit precincts. Efforts to inform voters include newspaper notices, website updates, emails, and even postings on the doors of polling sites that are no longer in use.

The Florida Supervisors of Elections Association praised DeSantis’ decision to extend voting accommodations, pointing out that Milton’s landfall on October 9 compounded the damage caused by Helene. Ryan Cox, the association’s deputy director, acknowledged the efforts of election staff working tirelessly to ensure voter access amid catastrophic conditions. “These dedicated public servants ensure all Floridians who want to vote can do so, efficiently and securely, under any circumstance,” Cox stated.

Despite the adjustments, concerns remain about potential voter confusion. Brad Ashwell, Florida state director of All Voting is Local, stressed the need for the state to play a more prominent role in communicating election changes. “There’s potential for voter confusion, and the state should consolidate and make this information easy to find,” Ashwell said.