FL Election Results Fair, Early Voting Worked: Patch Readers Say

FLORIDA — More than 60 percent of Florida Patch readers voted absentee and dropped off or mailed in their ballots for the November general election, according to an informal reader survey Patch conducted this week. About 61 percent used this option, while another 27 percent voted in person but early, and nearly 10 percent voted at the polls on Election Day.

A total of 623 Florida Patch readers responded to the survey published Tuesday. The survey, which appeared in questionnaire form on Patch, is not meant to be a scientific poll but only to give a broad idea of public sentiment.

Over half of Florida survey respondents said they voted by absentee ballots in the election and most voters are confident in the results.

"The ability to cast one's vote is one of the most important rights in this country," a survey respondent wrote. "It should be made as easy as possible to ensure that every citizen's voice and choice is included. My ballot came in plenty of time for me to research all the candidates, and dropping my completed ballot couple of miles from my home was as easy as can be."

Florida's 29 electoral votes will go to President Donald Trump in a close contest. Unofficial returns showed Trump's lead over President-elect Joe Biden was at 5,647,539 to 5,270,500 votes in Florida. The president also won Florida in 2016 when he ran against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Democrats were betting a boost in voter registration and questions about the handling of the coronavirus pandemic would propel Biden to victory in the Sunshine State, but the president's camp was pleased that Biden underperformed in three heavily populated South Florida counties, including Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.

While the national election was called for Biden on Saturday, the president and his supporters have made unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud in many states. Lawsuits in several battleground states have been filed by Trump, and thrown out by judges after the president's lawyers said, under questioning in court, they don’t believe fraud happened, the Wall Street Journal reports.

A majority of Florida Patch readers who took our survey said they believe the election results in their state, and the national outcome, were fair and accurate.

"I worked at the polls. Myself and my team worked hard to make sure everyone had a chance to vote," said one survey respondent. "There are always those who come in last minute (literary 2 minutes to 7 and at the wrong percent and its our fault....) Do we make mistakes, of course, we are human, but we do our best to meet the needs of those who vote with us."

A recent Florida transplant from New Jersey said they felt the state's voting process was secure, with a photo ID check, signature comparison and ballot scanning machines that seemed foolproof.

"My husband and I even worked at the polls this year. I believe our precinct did everything correct," another respondent said. "I would assume that Florida was legal due to the great Governor that we have. Our (votes) were tallied and turned in timely as they should be. Other states are very very sketchy."

Many survey participants said they had confidence in their county's election workers and methods, but were less convinced that the nationwide system was free of problems.

"Although my voting experience went well, I am appalled at the amount of dishonest voting in America," said a respondent. "This is not the country I want to live in where looting, murder, and social upheaval lives with no consequences."

Just over half of those who took the survey said voting by mail should be made easier to do in future elections.

"Sadly, even the current president is ignorant (by choice) of how ballots are cast and processed. The Constitution gives each state the responsibility and power to choose how it conducts elections. Claiming or suggesting there is voting fraud based merely on the fact that some states did not complete their counts were not completed by midnight on Election Day is a falsehood," a reader commented. "I am an Independent voter and take the time to research the candidates and processes. From my point of view it really does appear that the president and Republican Party have tried very hard to make voting early and in absentia as difficult as possible, which is abhorrent and immoral."

"Vote by mail every election for many years," said another voter. "This year I was not confident about the post office so I dropped it off in person to the election office. No problems."