ORLANDO, Fla. — On Friday, Lake County Supervisor of Elections Alan Hays said he’s pushing for efforts to change a state law that requires voters to renew their vote by mail requests. He is part of a group requesting consideration from the Legislature.

What You Need To Know

  • On Dec. 31, 2024, voters’ vote-by-mail requests expired

  • A state law shortened the time vote-by-mail ballot requests are active to two years instead of four

  • In the 2024 general election last November, Lake County had more than 14,000 requests for vote-by-mail ballots in Congressional District 6
  • But in a recent January special election, the SOE office only mailed out 3,300 in Congressional District 6

Voter outreach organizations and election leaders say the proposal could make voters’ lives easier.

All vote-by-mail ballot requests expired after the November election due to a provision in Senate Bill 90 that was passed and signed into law in 2021.

Local election officials have noted a decrease in new vote-by-mail applications that they attribute to a lack of knowledge of the law’s impacts on the part of the electorate.

That’s why leaders are pushing for a change. 

“We’re really surprised by who doesn’t know, right, so every time we have a chance, every time we are in public, every time we have a meeting, we are saying have you renewed your vote by mail request,” said Kathy Schmitz, president of the League of Women Voters of Orange County.

In the 2024 general election last November, Lake County had more than 14,000 requests for vote-by-mail ballots in Congressional District 6. 

But in a recent January special election, the SOE’s office only mailed out 3,300 in the same district.

“So, there’s 11,000 people who had gotten a vote-by-mail ballot in November, and then in December their request expired,” Schmitz said.

Schmitz says her mission is to empower voters.

The law also shortened the length of time that vote-by-mail ballot requests remain in force to two years, down from four.

“There’s no reason for it to expire after two years," she said. "That just adds another barrier for our voters, and we’re all about removing barriers to voting."

Schmitz said letting voters know about the change is a huge part of their messaging.

“They’re confused about why the Legislature would make it harder for people to vote," she said. "Vote-by-mail is a really convenient way to vote. It’s secure and safe and it ensures that people who have really busy lives and aren’t always available on a Tuesday, can vote."

In Lake County, voters use return envelopes to send their ballots back to the supervisor of elections office.

“We, as an association of supervisors, are asking the Legislature to allow us to use a checked box like this one right here, that would indicate to us that the voter wants to renew their request for vote by mail ballot,” Hays said.

He said the check box would make it easier on voters and SOE staff, if allowed. He says in past years, voters could keep getting mail ballots every four years, as long as they checked this box.

“Right now, every two years they have to renew it, and the checked box there is not legal now,” said Hays.

Both Hays and Schmitz hope legislators make a change.

Hays said for the most recent election, his office mailed a postcard to voters in Congressional District 6 that their vote by mail requests had expired for the 2025 election cycle and they should renew it.