<aside> <img src="/icons/bell_blue.svg" alt="/icons/bell_blue.svg" width="40px" /> Below is a general summary of the potential election administration vulnerabilities identified in Florida.
To read a detailed analysis of the vulnerabilities, intended to help pro-democracy groups protect our elections and fuel corrective action, please click here to request access. Please include the name of your organization in the request.
By requesting access, you’re opting-in to receive email notifications when our vulnerabilities research is updated with analyses of additional states.
</aside>
Florida has clear statutes and regulations governing the administration of its elections, including guidance issued by the Secretary of State, through the Department of State, to ensure election laws are uniformly applied throughout the state. The vast majority of Florida’s election administrators are dedicated public servants who have sought to make sure no voter is disenfranchised.
While its elections are designed to be administered in a secure, methodical, and structured way, we remain concerned by the potential that unknown bad actors may still attempt to abuse certain legitimate components of the post-vote process, to sow chaos and exploit uncertainty for their own ends. Nonetheless, Florida’s elections will need to be closely watched to ensure that 2024’s elections are run freely, that votes are counted fairly, and that the election is decided by the voters.
Below, we highlight areas that have been targeted in the past and potential areas that may be vulnerable during this election cycle.
Out of Florida's 234 officials, such as Supervisors of Elections, County Canvassing Board members, and State Attorneys, we identified concerning findings in the backgrounds of 16 officials, or roughly 7%. This includes four County Canvassing Board members, across four counties, who publicly questioned the results of the 2020 election or perpetuated claims of widespread fraud in our electoral system. This election denial ranged from sharing conspiracy theories about having fake ballots counted to outright claims the election was stolen or rigged. National or in-state election deniers did not target Florida following the 2020 elections.
Research did not surface past incidences of current County Canvassing Board members refusing to certify in Florida. Nonetheless, given the increasing use of this tactic among election deniers and anti-democracy actors across the country, it is worth continuing to monitor.
Overall, our research identified seven Supervisors of Elections and Canvassing Board members who have spread election conspiracy theories. Among these officials, Glades County Commissioner Hattie Taylor shared a video on Facebook calling the 2020 election “one of the biggest cons that have taken place in a long time.”
An additional six County Canvassing Board members expressed skepticism regarding election outcomes or election processes without cause, while not outright denying the results of the 2020 election.
This year’s election will be the first presidential election since Florida enacted legislation that expanded both the scope and depth of poll observer access. Therefore, we have some concerns that the increased use of that access may result in an increase of challenges both at polling locations and in the case of vote-by-mail ballots, increasing the use of provisional ballots. This may also add to the burden on County Canvassing Boards and Supervisors of Elections who must further review and ultimately determine the eligibility of these ballots. It may also place an increased burden on voters to respond to or cure these ballots in some cases.
<aside> <img src="/icons/bell_blue.svg" alt="/icons/bell_blue.svg" width="40px" /> For further analysis of the vulnerabilities to Florida’s election administration, please request access here. Please include the name of your organization in the request.
By requesting access, you’re opting-in to receive email notifications when our vulnerabilities research is updated with analyses of additional states.
</aside>