WEBVTT - Election Integrity with Cord Byrd 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:03.120 So, as I've been talking about on this show and 0:00:03.160 --> 0:00:05.920 a lot of the conversations that are happening in the country, 0:00:06.040 --> 0:00:08.559 is this this new era of politics that we live in. 0:00:09.000 --> 0:00:11.440 You know, we now live in this wild West of 0:00:11.480 --> 0:00:16.600 American politics with the vast introduction of mail and ballots 0:00:16.640 --> 0:00:19.800 to a scale that we hadn't seen in prior elections 0:00:19.880 --> 0:00:26.080 since COVID and beyond, it's completely changed the dynamics of elections. 0:00:26.120 --> 0:00:29.320 I mean, we saw with the twenty two midterms Republicans 0:00:29.360 --> 0:00:32.760 got caught with our pants down because it's no longer 0:00:32.800 --> 0:00:37.760 about earning votes, it's about finding ballots. So the dynamics 0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:40.879 have changed. But even beyond that, you can look at 0:00:40.880 --> 0:00:43.720 places and states that are doing it right. Look at Florida, 0:00:44.200 --> 0:00:46.600 my state. I'm a little bit biased as a Floridian. 0:00:46.800 --> 0:00:48.840 I love this state. I think it's the best state 0:00:48.880 --> 0:00:51.240 in the country. But look at what we were able 0:00:51.280 --> 0:00:54.160 to do. We have a population of two million people 0:00:54.160 --> 0:00:56.720 and we were able to deliver results on election night. 0:00:56.960 --> 0:00:59.600 We had also been just recovering from a category for 0:00:59.680 --> 0:01:02.920 her and we're also facing another incoming hurricane as we 0:01:02.960 --> 0:01:06.160 went into election day. So why was Florida able to 0:01:06.200 --> 0:01:08.280 do it? And make it seem so easy, yet it's 0:01:08.280 --> 0:01:10.720 hard for so many of these other states. And this 0:01:10.800 --> 0:01:13.480 is a really important issue as we move forward, because 0:01:13.840 --> 0:01:17.400 we have to have faith in our elections. We need 0:01:17.440 --> 0:01:19.600 to know that they're being done right. We need to 0:01:19.600 --> 0:01:22.039 know that the people being elected truly are supposed to 0:01:22.080 --> 0:01:24.360 be there. And this is going to get more challenging 0:01:24.360 --> 0:01:26.119 because you look at the use of mail and ballots, 0:01:26.200 --> 0:01:28.759 you look at the use of absentee ballots. It's all 0:01:28.800 --> 0:01:33.560 grown exponentially from in two thousand four to six in 0:01:34.800 --> 0:01:37.520 and we used to be able to call elections on 0:01:37.640 --> 0:01:40.720 election night. That used to be the norm. Look at 0:01:40.720 --> 0:01:44.119 presidential elections of the past. The Associated Press was able 0:01:44.160 --> 0:01:49.120 to call the presidential race for Barack Obama eleven eight 0:01:49.120 --> 0:01:52.760 pm on election night. The AP called the election for 0:01:52.800 --> 0:01:55.520 Donald Trump at to twenty nine a m. The next 0:01:55.600 --> 0:01:58.880 day after the election, but in with mail and ballots, 0:01:58.920 --> 0:02:03.120 the AP didn't call the race until a m Eastern 0:02:03.760 --> 0:02:06.840 November seven, four days after the election. And you look 0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:09.440 at in the mid terms how long it has taken 0:02:09.520 --> 0:02:13.080 to count the votes in some of these states. So 0:02:13.320 --> 0:02:15.240 we're going to talk to the guy who who is 0:02:15.360 --> 0:02:19.840 in charge of Florida's elections about what Florida does to 0:02:19.960 --> 0:02:22.960 get things right. We've recently made changes as a state, 0:02:23.600 --> 0:02:26.960 uh looking at things, strengthening laws on things like drop boxes. 0:02:27.000 --> 0:02:30.240 Now they must be monitored in person by election workers. 0:02:30.240 --> 0:02:33.360 We're going to talk about that. Also, Republicans created a 0:02:33.400 --> 0:02:37.360 new Elections Investigations Unit as well, among the first of 0:02:37.360 --> 0:02:39.520 the kind in its nation, to ensure that people are 0:02:39.560 --> 0:02:41.560 doing the right thing and voting. So we're going to 0:02:41.639 --> 0:02:43.280 talk to the guy who's leading the charge in a 0:02:43.360 --> 0:02:45.160 state that's doing it right. Maybe some of the other 0:02:45.200 --> 0:02:47.320 states will learn, and that conversation is going to be 0:02:47.360 --> 0:02:50.120 a Secretary State, Cord Bird. He was appointed by Governor 0:02:50.200 --> 0:02:55.120 Ronda Stantis as Florida's thirty seven Secretary of State and 0:02:55.160 --> 0:02:57.760 he has spent his life of writing for the Constitution, 0:02:58.080 --> 0:03:02.200 individual liberty, economic freedom, limited government. So he wants to 0:03:02.240 --> 0:03:05.320 make sure that our elections are done right, that that 0:03:05.360 --> 0:03:08.919 people have integrity in our elections. So that's what we're 0:03:08.960 --> 0:03:12.520 going to talk about today and maybe just maybe it'll 0:03:12.560 --> 0:03:14.480 be a blueprint for some of these other states that 0:03:14.680 --> 0:03:19.320 can't seem to figure it out. I'm looking at you, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada. 0:03:19.560 --> 0:03:21.640 So I hope you enjoyed this conversation and we'll all 0:03:21.720 --> 0:03:41.240 learn a lot together. So, Secretary of Cordbora, thank you 0:03:41.320 --> 0:03:44.120 so much for joining the show. I'm a florid iad, 0:03:44.480 --> 0:03:46.320 so it's awesome to have you on. We live in 0:03:46.360 --> 0:03:49.560 the best state, so thanks for taking the time. Thank you, Lisa. 0:03:49.640 --> 0:03:52.000 And yes, you're right, the Sunshine States leading the way 0:03:52.280 --> 0:03:55.800 it really is on everything including elections and and this 0:03:55.920 --> 0:03:59.520 was really underscored on election night when we were able 0:03:59.560 --> 0:04:03.200 to cow our ballots, our votes in a state of 0:04:03.280 --> 0:04:06.920 twenty two million people, when all these other states could not. 0:04:07.240 --> 0:04:09.440 So why is it so easy for Florida and so 0:04:09.480 --> 0:04:11.760 hard for everyone else? Sure, I mean it all begins 0:04:11.840 --> 0:04:14.240 with putting the right to laws in place with the 0:04:14.320 --> 0:04:17.120 legislature and the governor. I mean, going back to two thousand, 0:04:17.240 --> 0:04:20.800 we we learned our lesson and during every cycle we 0:04:20.839 --> 0:04:23.240 continue to improve upon our laws. No matter how well 0:04:23.320 --> 0:04:27.240 we do, we continue to do better. So, for example, um, 0:04:27.360 --> 0:04:30.440 we start canvassing votes, which for for your listeners who 0:04:30.440 --> 0:04:33.279 may not know, that means counting the vote by mail 0:04:33.400 --> 0:04:36.200 and the and the early votes. Twenty two days prior 0:04:36.240 --> 0:04:39.520 to election day, we started the supervisors can start counting 0:04:39.560 --> 0:04:42.880 those votes. So on election night, that very first number 0:04:42.920 --> 0:04:45.960 that comes out within minutes of the polls closing is 0:04:45.960 --> 0:04:48.320 your early and vote by mail. And then we have 0:04:48.440 --> 0:04:51.680 strict standards in place that every for every first forty 0:04:51.760 --> 0:04:54.480 five minutes and then thereafter every thirty minutes, they have 0:04:54.560 --> 0:04:57.920 to report the election day results as the precincts are reporting. 0:04:58.200 --> 0:05:00.920 So we don't give them the lead eight to just say, hey, 0:05:00.920 --> 0:05:03.880 you've gotten multiple days to count. We require them to 0:05:03.920 --> 0:05:06.440 get their their account in that night. Well, and obviously 0:05:06.480 --> 0:05:09.560 you mentioned the Gore versus Bush controversy. I think it 0:05:09.600 --> 0:05:11.560 was almost twenty two years ago. It was twenty two 0:05:11.640 --> 0:05:13.760 years ago, you know, talk about you had mentioned that 0:05:13.760 --> 0:05:16.200 Florida made changes, talk about some of the changes that 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:19.680 were made after that and and the continued strengthening of 0:05:19.680 --> 0:05:22.280 our laws here in Florida. Sure, so, I was actually 0:05:22.279 --> 0:05:24.839 in Palm Beach County in two thousand. Still have my 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:28.840 sample butterfly ballot with the hanging Chad, pregnant Chad, the 0:05:28.839 --> 0:05:31.400 whole nine yards. And so after that, because we had 0:05:31.480 --> 0:05:34.520 multiple different voting systems in place in Florida at that time, 0:05:34.839 --> 0:05:37.240 the state decided that at the state level we were 0:05:37.240 --> 0:05:40.279 going to certify any voting system, so I have my 0:05:40.360 --> 0:05:43.679 own team of experts. Before anybody can bring a voting 0:05:43.720 --> 0:05:46.200 system into Florida to be used at the county level, 0:05:46.720 --> 0:05:49.360 we require that to be certified by the state so 0:05:49.400 --> 0:05:51.719 that all of the counties are on the same standards. 0:05:51.800 --> 0:05:54.839 That's one of the important things UM. I ran legislation 0:05:54.880 --> 0:05:57.240 when I was in the State House that says that 0:05:57.279 --> 0:05:59.919 the paper ballot is the best evidence of voter intent. 0:06:00.080 --> 0:06:02.599 So we use paper ballots in Florida. Even though they're 0:06:02.960 --> 0:06:06.640 tabulated by a machine, there's a voter marking a piece 0:06:06.640 --> 0:06:10.480 of paper on their vote. We have strict on vote 0:06:10.480 --> 0:06:15.760 by mail, strict requirements that anybody that's matching the signatures 0:06:15.800 --> 0:06:20.320 that they undergo training. We have UM an open process, 0:06:20.360 --> 0:06:23.159 so whether it's the logic and accuracy testing, so that's 0:06:23.200 --> 0:06:27.320 the before before the election cycle starts. The public can 0:06:27.320 --> 0:06:29.880 come in and look at the machines and and see 0:06:29.880 --> 0:06:32.200 that they're the counsel at zero and that they're working 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:35.359 properly through the canvassing process. The public can come in 0:06:35.400 --> 0:06:38.000 and watch. On election night, the public can come in 0:06:38.040 --> 0:06:42.320 and watch. So we're always trying to balance access with integrity, 0:06:42.760 --> 0:06:46.800 and that's led to the gold standard that we are today. 0:06:46.839 --> 0:06:49.480 I mean, obviously there's a lot of concerns that mail 0:06:49.520 --> 0:06:53.520 and ballots are more susceptible to fraud. What's our what 0:06:53.560 --> 0:06:55.280 are your thoughts on that? Sure? And there and that 0:06:55.360 --> 0:06:57.920 goes back even to the Baker Carter Report in two 0:06:57.920 --> 0:07:01.320 thousand and five, which was the bipartisan UM commission that 0:07:01.360 --> 0:07:03.600 looked at voting in the United States. And even in 0:07:03.600 --> 0:07:06.279 that report they said that mail in voting is the 0:07:06.279 --> 0:07:09.400 most susceptible to fraud. UM. It is a popular method 0:07:09.440 --> 0:07:13.200 of voting in Florida. So on on this last election, 0:07:13.240 --> 0:07:15.320 we had about a third vote by mail, a third 0:07:15.360 --> 0:07:18.320 early vote in a third on election day. So we 0:07:18.360 --> 0:07:21.560 have as many safeguards in places as I think we can. 0:07:22.240 --> 0:07:26.200 UM on mail in voting. We banned ballot harvesting, So 0:07:26.240 --> 0:07:30.680 what you see in Nevada and California, that's illegal in Florida. UM. 0:07:30.760 --> 0:07:33.720 And then I'm required, my office is required before the 0:07:33.760 --> 0:07:37.680 next legislative session in three to provide a report on 0:07:37.720 --> 0:07:41.640 how to add additional safeguards to vote by mail. UH 0:07:41.720 --> 0:07:45.360 to just once again to increase integrity and security. Well, 0:07:45.440 --> 0:07:48.200 I think that's important to continue learning too, because you know, 0:07:48.240 --> 0:07:51.160 for instance, on mail and ballots. You know, how much 0:07:51.200 --> 0:07:54.560 of an increase have we seen since COVID in terms 0:07:54.600 --> 0:07:56.120 of the use of that. So it seems to make 0:07:56.200 --> 0:07:59.880 sense that as things change, you know, we're adapting and 0:08:00.240 --> 0:08:02.800 making sure that our laws are are meeting you know, 0:08:02.880 --> 0:08:06.120 today's world. Well, you're exactly right, and there are a 0:08:06.120 --> 0:08:09.240 lot of people for example, um and then this past 0:08:09.600 --> 0:08:12.440 race or this past election, and we don't in Florida. 0:08:12.480 --> 0:08:14.920 You have to request a ballot. So unlike other states 0:08:14.960 --> 0:08:17.440 that just mail, go ahead and mail a ballot to 0:08:17.520 --> 0:08:19.400 every single voter on the voter role, we do not 0:08:19.520 --> 0:08:22.040 do that. You have to request it. And it was 0:08:22.080 --> 0:08:24.600 on a two year cycle. So we had many people 0:08:24.800 --> 0:08:28.520 during COVID request one, but then vote by our in 0:08:28.600 --> 0:08:32.160 person this last election, so we had about there have 0:08:32.240 --> 0:08:35.240 been some reports that there's a there's a million mail 0:08:35.280 --> 0:08:40.040 out ballots that weren't returned, and that's true because those people, 0:08:40.320 --> 0:08:44.559 while during COVID they voted by mail, they then reverted 0:08:44.600 --> 0:08:46.760 back to their normal pattern of voting in person. This 0:08:46.840 --> 0:08:50.400 time and last legislative session, we've now gone to the 0:08:50.480 --> 0:08:53.720 request being for every two cycles to every cycle you 0:08:53.760 --> 0:08:56.319 have to request the mail. The mail in ballot. So 0:08:56.520 --> 0:08:59.240 that's an additional safeguard that we've put in place, and 0:08:59.280 --> 0:09:01.760 talk a little bit of out. So there were additional measures, 0:09:02.000 --> 0:09:06.480 uh that were enacted in right, like strengthening things like 0:09:06.559 --> 0:09:09.320 drop boxes having to be monitored by person by an 0:09:09.360 --> 0:09:11.640 election worker. Can you talk about some of those changes 0:09:11.720 --> 0:09:15.120 that were made and then the new Election Integrity Unit? Sure, 0:09:15.120 --> 0:09:17.960 absolutely so we've you and Florida we now call them 0:09:18.040 --> 0:09:21.000 a secure ballot intake stations, but they were formerly known 0:09:21.040 --> 0:09:23.840 as drop boxes. And in the difference being the dropbox 0:09:23.880 --> 0:09:25.680 connotates they can be put on a you know, in 0:09:25.720 --> 0:09:29.280 a corner somewhere and nobody watches it. Where the ballot 0:09:29.280 --> 0:09:34.560 intake stations have to be monitored by an election worker. Um, 0:09:34.720 --> 0:09:37.840 and I went to every all sixty seven counties after 0:09:37.880 --> 0:09:40.080 I was appointed by the governor and visited with every 0:09:40.080 --> 0:09:44.000 single supervisor of elections and looked at their operations. Many 0:09:44.040 --> 0:09:46.560 of them have two people watching because there's a twenty 0:09:47.200 --> 0:09:51.240 dollar fine in place to the supervisor personally if they 0:09:51.320 --> 0:09:54.880 don't if they leave that box unmonitored. Because some people 0:09:54.920 --> 0:09:57.360 are not trustful of the postal service, they like the 0:09:57.400 --> 0:09:59.920 convenience of the box. So once again that's one of 0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:04.000 those measures where we're trying to to balance convenience with integrity, 0:10:04.000 --> 0:10:06.160 and I think we've struck the right balance there. I mean, Secretary, 0:10:06.160 --> 0:10:07.560 I'm not gonna lie. If I was faced with the 0:10:08.440 --> 0:10:10.480 dollar fine, I think I would be running a tight 0:10:10.520 --> 0:10:13.600 ship as well. So exactly a lot of that's a 0:10:13.600 --> 0:10:16.400 lot of cash. I feel like we're in this weird 0:10:16.440 --> 0:10:19.400 places as a country because of obviously mail and ballots 0:10:19.400 --> 0:10:22.920 and absitute ballots growing so substantially since COVID. I mean, 0:10:23.000 --> 0:10:26.280 for instance, I think they've grown from in two thousand 0:10:26.360 --> 0:10:30.280 four to six in the country, you know, naturally, not 0:10:30.360 --> 0:10:34.439 sure what two is going to ultimately look like. Uh, 0:10:34.480 --> 0:10:37.559 you know, what are your recommendations for some of these 0:10:37.559 --> 0:10:40.360 other states, because obviously we don't have results on election 0:10:40.480 --> 0:10:43.199 night and we have to wait, you know, a week 0:10:43.280 --> 0:10:46.960 plus to get results. It really just undermines faith in 0:10:47.000 --> 0:10:50.160 the election process at large. It does, and I think 0:10:50.200 --> 0:10:52.440 that the number one thing they that other states can 0:10:52.520 --> 0:10:56.000 do and should do is start canvassing their vote by 0:10:56.000 --> 0:10:59.640 mail and early votes earlier. So just like Florida follow 0:10:59.679 --> 0:11:02.920 our mom moudele an example. Because the longer this goes 0:11:02.960 --> 0:11:05.640 on that it breeds distrust that allows for people to 0:11:05.640 --> 0:11:08.560 to call into question, uh, the integrity of the election. 0:11:08.800 --> 0:11:12.480 And that really is an easy chain change. And you know, 0:11:12.480 --> 0:11:13.880 people go, well, what do you know what happens to 0:11:13.920 --> 0:11:16.800 somebody releases the those results ahead of time? I mean 0:11:16.840 --> 0:11:18.719 only the s o E should have the supervisor of 0:11:18.720 --> 0:11:21.040 election should have those numbers. And we make it a 0:11:21.040 --> 0:11:23.400 felony in Florida if you are to release those numbers 0:11:23.400 --> 0:11:26.160 ahead of time. And we've never had that happen where 0:11:26.200 --> 0:11:30.199 those numbers got out before before election night. So I 0:11:30.240 --> 0:11:32.679 think that's the number one thing they could do. And 0:11:32.720 --> 0:11:35.640 also we have in Florida our supervisors of Election are 0:11:35.679 --> 0:11:41.280 there there um independently elected constitutional officers, their their professionals. 0:11:41.440 --> 0:11:44.720 They're accountable with the people, where in other states they 0:11:44.720 --> 0:11:47.720 don't have that model, and it's just another job that 0:11:47.840 --> 0:11:50.720 maybe uh you know, the city manager, a county clerk 0:11:50.800 --> 0:11:52.920 has in addition to all of their other duties, is 0:11:52.960 --> 0:11:54.920 every two or four years, they they're in charge of 0:11:54.960 --> 0:11:57.719 an election. That's not their full time job. And I 0:11:57.760 --> 0:11:59.880 think that's another difference that Florida has in place, that 0:12:00.040 --> 0:12:03.280 we have people who their their entire job all year round, 0:12:03.320 --> 0:12:05.840 all their dedicated to doing is making sure that they 0:12:05.840 --> 0:12:08.520 can get election results on Election nine. Yeah, I mean 0:12:08.559 --> 0:12:10.680 that that definitely, you know. And it's crazy too because 0:12:10.679 --> 0:12:13.480 you can go back and look at elections in previous 0:12:13.480 --> 0:12:18.400 election cycles, and you know, Associated Press called presidential race 0:12:18.440 --> 0:12:21.600 for Obama at eleven thirty eight pm on Election night, 0:12:22.559 --> 0:12:25.959 the AP called the election for Donald Trump at or 0:12:26.000 --> 0:12:28.959 to twenty nine uh the day after the election, and 0:12:28.960 --> 0:12:31.560 then in with mail and ballots, the AP didn't call 0:12:31.600 --> 0:12:35.600 the race until eleven six a m. November seven, four 0:12:35.679 --> 0:12:39.760 days after the election. Is it, you know? I mean, 0:12:40.280 --> 0:12:42.600 Florida makes it look so easy in terms. I know 0:12:42.679 --> 0:12:44.320 it's not. I know, you've got a big job and 0:12:44.320 --> 0:12:46.680 you work very hard to make sure the elections are 0:12:46.720 --> 0:12:49.480 efficient and done with integrity. But it is it that 0:12:49.520 --> 0:12:52.440 they just don't care and some of these other states, 0:12:52.480 --> 0:12:54.559 it's it's just hard to imagine that there are easy 0:12:54.640 --> 0:12:56.920 changes that could be made, yet no one seems to 0:12:56.960 --> 0:12:59.720 care to make them. It really starts with the legislatures, 0:12:59.760 --> 0:13:02.280 and that's what I encourage people to contact their state 0:13:02.320 --> 0:13:06.080 representative and state senator because they have the constitutional authority 0:13:06.120 --> 0:13:08.360 to do this. And you know, you mentioned we make 0:13:08.400 --> 0:13:10.320 it look easy, and I'm glad it looks that way 0:13:10.360 --> 0:13:12.000 because we do put a lot of time into it. 0:13:12.400 --> 0:13:13.880 You have remember we had a we had a major 0:13:13.960 --> 0:13:17.600 Category four plus hurricane hit a month prior to the election, 0:13:17.840 --> 0:13:20.600 and we had another one hit the day after the election, 0:13:20.679 --> 0:13:23.120 and we were still able to do this. So I 0:13:23.440 --> 0:13:26.160 think that our our results speak for themselves. And I've 0:13:26.160 --> 0:13:29.679 offered my services to any other state that's interested, more 0:13:29.720 --> 0:13:32.160 than happy to help them walk through Florida's laws and 0:13:32.400 --> 0:13:36.160 what they can do, because, um, it really is unacceptable, 0:13:36.520 --> 0:13:39.880 and especially in these mid term and in presidential races. 0:13:40.360 --> 0:13:44.360 I mean, it matters to Floridians what happens in these 0:13:44.480 --> 0:13:47.839 races and other states, and it undermines our confidence and 0:13:48.080 --> 0:13:50.360 those results when they can't do what we do well. 0:13:50.360 --> 0:13:52.840 And also, like you look at a mid term election 0:13:53.080 --> 0:13:56.360 and if it was this messy, this passimate from a cycle, 0:13:56.440 --> 0:13:59.000 then what is it going to be for the presidential 0:13:59.000 --> 0:14:01.480 election when you have more are people turning out in 0:14:01.600 --> 0:14:03.319 these states? You know, if they if they can't handle 0:14:03.320 --> 0:14:07.120 it for a mid term election, then you know we're 0:14:07.120 --> 0:14:10.880 really going to have confidence eroded in the upcoming presidential election. 0:14:10.920 --> 0:14:12.880 If they don't get their acts together, well that's it. 0:14:12.960 --> 0:14:15.280 And I went and looked at Arizona's laws and they 0:14:15.600 --> 0:14:17.920 do have some changes coming for twenty four. So it 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:21.160 should improve some in Arizona with some of the additional 0:14:21.240 --> 0:14:24.680 changes they're making. Um, but it's going to take citizens 0:14:24.680 --> 0:14:26.760 in those states where they may not that they still 0:14:26.760 --> 0:14:31.080 have ballot harvesting to adapt until their their legislatures make 0:14:31.160 --> 0:14:33.440 those changes. They're gonna have to adapt to those rules 0:14:33.480 --> 0:14:37.400 and and fight on that that same playing field, even 0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:41.080 if they find that policy personally distasteful. That's what it's 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:44.160 going to take to to to win these races. Quick 0:14:44.200 --> 0:14:52.080 break more on election integrity and talk about the concerns 0:14:52.080 --> 0:14:55.560 with ballot harvesting and why Florida bands it. You know, 0:14:55.640 --> 0:14:58.480 how can it be exploited? What's the concern there, and 0:14:58.720 --> 0:15:01.400 why don't we have it? It's a great question, and 0:15:01.440 --> 0:15:03.080 I mean when you hear in these other states, I 0:15:03.080 --> 0:15:05.120 mean you can, you can show up to the polling 0:15:05.120 --> 0:15:09.400 place with hundreds of ballots. And the problem with vote 0:15:09.400 --> 0:15:12.800 by mail is that it's it's unsupervised voting, and it's 0:15:12.680 --> 0:15:14.800 it's subject and these are my words, this is coming 0:15:14.840 --> 0:15:17.960 out of the Baker Carter report. This is it's subject 0:15:17.960 --> 0:15:21.560 to intimidation and coercion. UM. Sometimes people are paid for 0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:24.840 their vote by mail ballots, and so it when when 0:15:24.840 --> 0:15:27.560 somebody walks in with hundreds of ballots, or you hear 0:15:27.600 --> 0:15:31.280 these stories of individuals going through apartment complexes and asking 0:15:31.680 --> 0:15:33.600 and knocking on doors and asking them to turn in 0:15:33.640 --> 0:15:36.720 their ballots. UH, that becomes a problem whether or not 0:15:36.800 --> 0:15:40.640 those people are truly UM casting those votes and UH 0:15:40.760 --> 0:15:44.280 and UH and following the right procedure. So we had 0:15:44.320 --> 0:15:47.040 that problem in Florida. We've banned it. We still allow 0:15:47.120 --> 0:15:49.840 for someone if you if you're a family member, UM 0:15:49.880 --> 0:15:52.360 and you live with your grandparents, and you can take 0:15:52.440 --> 0:15:54.400 their ballots to the polling place. So we have a 0:15:54.480 --> 0:15:57.720 very prescribed law on who can be in possession of 0:15:57.720 --> 0:16:01.120 someone else's ballots. But it's very narrow and unlike Nevada 0:16:01.120 --> 0:16:03.000 and California. And I think, you know, I try to 0:16:03.040 --> 0:16:05.840 look at everything secretary from just like a common sense 0:16:06.080 --> 0:16:08.160 standpoint in lens. And if you look at you know, 0:16:08.160 --> 0:16:11.920 ballot harvesting, it's like the likelihood of it touching more hands, 0:16:12.040 --> 0:16:15.920 chain of custody concerns, and then that just introduces obviously 0:16:15.960 --> 0:16:19.720 the process possibility of fraud. When you know you're you're 0:16:19.720 --> 0:16:22.320 giving your ballot to someone you don't really know, you know, 0:16:22.400 --> 0:16:24.160 like who knows what they're going to do with it. Well, 0:16:24.200 --> 0:16:27.080 that's it. Um, you know that's a problem with you 0:16:27.120 --> 0:16:29.080 know that the people have had concerns about the drop 0:16:29.080 --> 0:16:31.160 boxes when there's some of the videos and people walking 0:16:31.240 --> 0:16:36.680 up with with multiple ballots. Um, the governor understands is 0:16:36.880 --> 0:16:40.640 very clear that he wanted ballot harvesting band and some 0:16:40.680 --> 0:16:43.840 of these other rules tightened up, and the legislature responded. 0:16:44.200 --> 0:16:46.920 And that's why, you know where the gold standard. Actually 0:16:47.000 --> 0:16:49.640 think this is like an incredibly important issue too, because 0:16:49.720 --> 0:16:51.560 I mean, you look at just the country as a whole. 0:16:52.640 --> 0:16:55.239 You know, there's a loss of faith in every institution, 0:16:55.440 --> 0:16:58.880 from you know, the media to our government to you know, 0:16:58.960 --> 0:17:01.360 essentially everything. And so for people to be able to 0:17:01.400 --> 0:17:04.760 trust that their vote counted, that the elections were done 0:17:04.800 --> 0:17:06.600 with integrity, that the people who are elected to the 0:17:06.600 --> 0:17:09.960 people that should be elected, I think it's paramount to 0:17:10.240 --> 0:17:14.119 you know, to having a thriving republic. It is, and 0:17:14.320 --> 0:17:15.919 you're exactly right, and I'm glad you called it a 0:17:15.960 --> 0:17:18.280 republic because that's what it is, a republic that uses 0:17:18.359 --> 0:17:22.440 democratic processes to elect our representatives, and if we lose 0:17:22.440 --> 0:17:24.920 faith in that institution, then I don't know that any 0:17:24.960 --> 0:17:27.880 of the others matter. So we have to get this right. 0:17:28.480 --> 0:17:30.560 And the encouraging thing is and this is what I 0:17:30.560 --> 0:17:32.320 would tell people in other states. We have so many 0:17:32.320 --> 0:17:35.000 Floridians who have become involved in the process. And I 0:17:35.080 --> 0:17:38.159 started uh over twenty five years ago as a poll watcher. 0:17:38.640 --> 0:17:42.000 UH And so it takes citizens becoming involved and active 0:17:42.000 --> 0:17:45.960 in the process, and that helps because the more people 0:17:46.000 --> 0:17:48.359 we have watching, the more people we have reporting. And 0:17:48.400 --> 0:17:50.280 we do have I I mean I was getting text 0:17:50.320 --> 0:17:52.960 messages all day long from people that would see things 0:17:53.040 --> 0:17:54.920 or have concerns, and we would look into it. I 0:17:54.920 --> 0:17:58.360 would call a supervisor, UH, my team would call out. 0:17:58.800 --> 0:18:03.200 And that's what it's going to to to rebuild that trust. UM. 0:18:03.240 --> 0:18:05.359 But I think Florida has said the example, and we 0:18:05.400 --> 0:18:08.760 can't get back to an election system that that every 0:18:08.760 --> 0:18:11.479 American can trust. I'm glad you mentioned that because I 0:18:11.520 --> 0:18:13.600 do think that you know, a lot of times we 0:18:13.640 --> 0:18:16.760 look to like the federal government, or we look to 0:18:17.280 --> 0:18:19.800 or elected officials, when a lot of times, you know, 0:18:19.840 --> 0:18:22.520 we can we need to take steps ourselves to try 0:18:22.560 --> 0:18:24.439 to to change things from the bottom up. So I 0:18:24.480 --> 0:18:26.000 like the fact you mentioned. You know, you can sign 0:18:26.080 --> 0:18:27.800 up to be a poll watcher, you can get involved 0:18:28.160 --> 0:18:30.760 to ensure that there's integrity in your elections. You know, 0:18:30.800 --> 0:18:33.120 talk about some of those steps that citizens can take 0:18:33.200 --> 0:18:35.320 if they're like, you know what, I'm sick of the process. 0:18:35.680 --> 0:18:37.520 I want to step up. I want to make sure 0:18:37.560 --> 0:18:39.880 that things are done right in my state. What are 0:18:39.920 --> 0:18:42.480 some things that people can do to sort of step 0:18:42.560 --> 0:18:44.520 up to the play and to try to change things 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:46.879 on their own? Obviously from a legal standpoint, but you know, 0:18:47.040 --> 0:18:49.119 what are some things that people can do? Sure? Well, 0:18:49.160 --> 0:18:51.440 once again I mentioned being a poll watcher, but being 0:18:51.440 --> 0:18:54.719 a whole worker. Um. I talked to several people around 0:18:54.720 --> 0:18:57.120 the state when I would go visit supervisors and meet 0:18:57.160 --> 0:18:59.880 citizens and talk to them, and who are skeptical of 0:19:00.000 --> 0:19:03.119 what happened in twenty had concerns and they actually became 0:19:03.160 --> 0:19:05.800 a poll worker, meaning they they work for the county 0:19:05.880 --> 0:19:08.560 during the election cycle. And then they said once they 0:19:08.600 --> 0:19:11.080 got to see it behind the scenes and saw the 0:19:11.400 --> 0:19:14.679 safety measures in place, the chain of custody, what the 0:19:14.680 --> 0:19:18.520 supervisor of elections was doing, it gave build confidence in them. 0:19:18.800 --> 0:19:21.040 And then they go out and tell their friends, their neighbors, 0:19:21.080 --> 0:19:23.480 they're the people they go to church with. And it's 0:19:23.520 --> 0:19:26.320 that kind of that that organic system building up and 0:19:26.359 --> 0:19:29.960 citizens taking responsibility for their own government because it does 0:19:30.240 --> 0:19:33.040 it requires active participation. This notion that we can sit 0:19:33.080 --> 0:19:34.920 back and then be governed by other people and then 0:19:35.000 --> 0:19:38.560 just complain when things go wrong, Um, that that's not 0:19:38.600 --> 0:19:40.480 the way this is supposed to work. Yeah, and I 0:19:40.520 --> 0:19:42.800 really think, you know, obviously there's a lot of concerns 0:19:42.800 --> 0:19:44.720 about the country as a whole, but it's going to 0:19:44.800 --> 0:19:46.720 take each of us to you know, step up to 0:19:46.720 --> 0:19:48.760 the plate to try to redirect this country and to 0:19:48.800 --> 0:19:51.320 write the ship because the Biden administration is not going 0:19:51.359 --> 0:19:53.720 to do it. So and apparently in a lot of 0:19:53.720 --> 0:19:55.800 these states, you know, like Pennsylvania, they're not going to 0:19:55.840 --> 0:19:57.919 do it either, right, And I'm glad you mentioned that. 0:19:58.000 --> 0:20:00.000 You know, some people have been calling, well, we needn't 0:20:00.240 --> 0:20:03.520 we would have federalized or nationalized elections, We need one standard, 0:20:03.520 --> 0:20:06.080 and I think that's a terrible idea. Um. You know, 0:20:06.119 --> 0:20:08.040 not much good comes out of Washington, d C. When 0:20:08.040 --> 0:20:11.199 they get involved, and so as frustrating as it is 0:20:11.240 --> 0:20:14.240 to watch other states not get it, right. I think 0:20:14.240 --> 0:20:17.160 that the solution is to put pressure on the state 0:20:17.240 --> 0:20:20.320 legislatures in those states and the citizens and those states 0:20:20.320 --> 0:20:22.040 to step up and to say we're going to turn 0:20:22.080 --> 0:20:24.120 this over to Washington, because I just think that would 0:20:24.119 --> 0:20:27.720