Smooth Election? let's fix that!

TAMPA BAY TIMES - THE BUZZ

By Steve Contorno

March 11, 2021

When I talked to Sen. Joe Gruters, the chairman of the state’s Republican Party, in February, he gushed about how smooth Florida’s election went in November. "I would hope that Florida could be looked at as the model for the rest of the country. People have confidence in the integrity of the system."

Now, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Republicans are ripping apart the voting system that Gruters is bragging about. They’re moving ahead with a bill to eliminate drop boxes that were used by 1.5 million Republican and Democratic voters in 2020. And they’re forcing everyone who votes by mail to register every year. The cost will be tremendous, local election officials say. You can read about the changes here.

And Gruters? He switched his tune. He’s supporting the bill.

— Steve Contorno, scontorno@tampabay.com