(Tallahassee, FL, Friday, October 23, 2020) – As early voting in Florida has begun, election officials are bracing for record-breaking numbers of voters who wish to vote in-person, raising concerns that the state may not be prepared for the turnout.

Simultaneously, a historic number of Floridians have requested absentee ballots due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As these voters prepare to return their ballots, they face questions regarding the logistics of doing so via the USPS.

But there is another option for Floridians to return their ballot by using county-approved ballot drop boxes. While the pandemic still threatens the lives of Americans, this is a safe option and allows citizens to participate fairly and for free.

In this interview, Brad Ashwell, state director for All Voting is Local Florida will walk your listeners through what they need to know in order to vote in this election, how they can do so safely, securely, and ensure their vote counts.

From the infamous hanging chads of the 2000 election to long lines at polling places in 2018, Florida voters have faced countless barriers to the ballot. Time and again, election officials make decisions that erect barriers to the same communities that know the harm of being disenfranchised: African Americans, low-income voters, students and people who don’t speak fluent English. In Florida, All Voting is Local is fighting to remove those obstacles and achieve these goals: students and communities of color have more opportunities to vote early, in person; voters who speak Spanish, Haitian Creole, and other languages receive ballots, voting materials, and support in their native language as required by law; and all overs, no matter who they are or where they live, can vote without waiting in long lines at their polling places.