ORLANDO, Fla. — A bill filed Friday night by former GOP Chair Blaise Ingoglia in the Florida Senate would eliminate universal voting by mail in the state, potentially wiping out a method used by millions and embraced by both parties until former President Trump’s false charges of fraud emerged in 2020.
Reaction from a Republican elections supervisor was swift.
“I’m sick and tired of this crap,” said Alan Hays, who runs Lake County elections.
“I am embarrassed, as a former state senator myself, that a current senator would offer such a nonsensical idea,” Hays added. “The Senate is supposed to be a body of leaders, not destroyers. And I see nothing good that I can say about this bill at all. … Shame on him.”
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“Not one of those legislators has any experience administering an election,” Hays said. “If they really want to mess things up and return Florida to being the laughingstock of the nation, keep on trying to sell this stuff. But until then, sit down, be quiet, and don’t mess with the election laws until you consult with the elections professionals.”
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“Mail ballots – they cheat,” Trump said in April 2020. “People cheat. Mail ballots are a very dangerous thing for this country because they’re cheaters. They go and collect them. They’re fraudulent in many cases.”
But Trump voted by mail himself in Palm Beach County in the GOP primary. Asked why, he said, “Because I’m allowed to.”
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“I personally cannot imagine this bill passing, if it even gets heard in one committee,” Hays said. “But it is absolutely absurd. And as an elections official, it’s insulting.”
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