(C) Florida Phoenix This story was originally published by Florida Phoenix and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . A look at states where Ron DeSantis can (legally) harvest ballots, though he rejected efforts in FL [1] ['Mitch Perry', 'More From Author', '- June'] Date: 2023-06-12 Campaigning in Iowa last month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told a voter that in states where it’s legal to “ballot harvest,” he’ll go all in on that practice — even though he signed legislation in Florida to restrict unlimited efforts to collect and return vote-by-mail ballots. “Each state is different, right? So like in Nevada, they send everyone a ballot, which is bad, but we’re going to do ballot harvesting,” he said in a video captured by reporter Dylan Wells of The Washington Post. “I’m doing it, yes. I’m not going to fight with one hand tied behind my back.” Ballot harvesting has been legal in some states around the country for years, but it became a voting issue targeted by the political right following the results of the 2018 congressional midterm election in California. A U.S. House report in 2020 titled “Political Weaponization of Ballot Harvesting in California” defined ballot harvesting as “the practice of permitting any individual to collect and return an unlimited number of mail or absentee ballots without a documented chain of custody or proper state oversight.” The report also stated that “this unlimited ballot harvesting led to the defeat of seven Republican candidates in the California 2018 midterm election.” Republicans on the committee produced the report. California Republicans then adopted a ballot-harvesting strategy of their own in 2020, the National Review reported, aiding them in taking back some of those congressional seats they lost two years before. CBS News in 2020 described the ballot harvesting as “the practice of allowing volunteers or campaign workers to go directly into the homes of voters, collect the completed ballots, and then drop them off at polling places or election offices. In 2023, Republican Party of Florida Chairman Christian Ziegler says that there’s nothing contradictory in the GOP’s stance on the issue, told the Florida Phoenix. “In the states where they refuse to ban ballot harvesting, then we need to absolutely kick the Democrats’ ass at their own games,” he says. “We can’t just sit back and say, ‘woe is us, ballot harvesting is allowed here,’ and then not do it.” “My mentality is we need to leverage the rules legally but as aggressively as we can to ensure victory,” he adds. In 2022, the Florida Legislature passed and DeSantis signed SB 524, which addressed ballot harvesting by restricting the number of signed and sealed vote-by-mail ballots that one person can possess to two (along with their own), along with ballots belonging to “an immediate family member.” Violations of that law is a third-degree felony, punishable of up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. A year earlier, DeSantis signed SB 90, which implemented restrictions on drop boxes, where vote-by-mail ballots can be deposited and later retrieved by local supervisors of elections. An earlier version of the bill had removed drop boxes altogether. Now however, as DeSantis is campaigning across the country to win the GOP presidential nomination, he says he’ll absolutely ballot harvest in states where it’s legal, so as not to be at a competitive disadvantage. That’s the same take that the Republican National Committee is espousing. The RNC launched their “Bank Your Vote” campaign last week that includes a coordinated strategy to bank as many votes prior to Election Day in 2024. “It really doesn’t get more hypocritical than this,” says Brad Ashwell, Florida state director for All Voting is Local. “For the past three years, the Governor has said he’s putting an end to ballot harvesting. This just shows that it was never truly a problem and that all of the rhetoric was more about political opportunism. Since the 2020 election, the Governor, other officials, and dark-money groups have been engaged in a massive disinformation campaign to sow distrust in the process and to support anti-voter laws. This was one example.” With the idea that the DeSantis campaign will now ballot harvest where it’s legal, the Phoenix researched what the current laws on the books are on this practice in all of the early voting states leading up to “Super Tuesday on March 5. The dates of the primary or caucuses are listed next to each state (there are no election dates yet scheduled for Iowa and New Hampshire). Iowa – (TBD) A sealed returned mail ballot must be delivered by the registered voter, by the voter’s designee, or by the “special precinct election officials” by the time the polls close on Election Day. However, if delivered by the voter’s designee, the envelope shall be delivered within 72 hours of retrieving it from the voter or before the closing of the polls on Election Day, whichever is earlier. New Hampshire – (TBD) A family member may deliver a vote-by-mail ballot. If the voter is a resident of a residential care facility, a staff member may return the ballot, or someone providing assistance to a voter with a disability may return the ballot. A delivery agent must complete a form and present a government-issued photo ID or have their identity confirmed by the city or town clerk. A delivery agent is defined in the law as the voter’s spouse, parent, sibling, child, grandchild, father-in-law, mother-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepparent, stepchild. South Carolina –(TBD) Any person except a candidate or campaign worker or volunteer (unless that person is an immediate family member of the voter) may return a ballot on behalf of a voter, if properly authorized through a form provided by the state to be completed by the voter. Authorized representatives must present photo ID to an election worker when returning the ballot. Nevada – (Feb 6) Any person authorized by the voter – the ballot must be submitted before the end of the third day of receipt. Michigan (Feb 27) Absentee ballots may be returned by a member of the voter’s immediate family, which includes a father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent, or grandchild or a person residing in the voter’s household. Texas (March 5) – Limited only to persons with disabilities who are physically unable to return their ballot. However, the person carrying that ballot cannot be the voter’s employer, an agent of the voter’s employer, or an officer or agent of a labor union to which the voter belongs to. Alabama (March 5) – It is unlawful for any person to knowingly “collect” or “deliver” an absentee ballot. There are exceptions for family members to the “second degree of kinship” and other specifically named officials. California (March 5) – Authorizes the designation of any person to return a vote by mail ballot. Maine (March 5) – A 3rd person must return an absentee ballot to the clerk’s office within two business days of the date the ballot was provide to the 3rd person. Massachusetts (March 5) –An early voting ballot received by mail may be returned by the voter or a family member. Minnesota (March 5) The voter may designate an agent to deliver in person the sealed absentee ballot return envelope to the county auditor or municipal clerk or to deposit the return envelope in the mail. An agent may deliver or mail the return envelopes of not more than three voters in any election. North Carolina (March 5) – A voter’s near relative may return an absentee ballot. For disabled voters, any person can return a ballot. Tennessee (March 5) Only the voter may return his or her ballot. Utah (March 5) – Unspecified who may return a ballot. Vermont (March 5) Unspecified who may return a ballot. Virginia (March 5) – Only a voter can return a ballot in person. [END] --- [1] Url: https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/06/12/a-look-at-states-where-ron-desantis-can-legally-harvest-ballots-though-he-rejected-efforts-in-fl/ Published and (C) by Florida Phoenix Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/floridaphoenix/