Florida and Federal Plans for Voter Verification
Municipal elections are happening now in Central Florida. Early voting is underway in Orange County for council or commission seats in Apopka, Maitland, Oakland and Eatonville. Starting next year in 2027, the identification required to cast a ballot could be much different.
The official name of HB 991 is An Act Related to Election Integrity. The bill was introduced by Fort Meyers Republican Representative Jenna Persons-Mulicka and passed along party lines. The proposal makes several changes to Florida’s election laws. The ones that would affect most voters would not take effect until after this year’s midterm elections.
Florida law already requires voters to affirm that they are U.S. citizens when they sign their voter registration form. Under the bill that goes into effect in 2027, if the state can’t verify someone’s citizenship through government records, that person would be labeled an unverified voter. They could still cast a provisional ballot that would only count if they provide proof of citizenship within two days after the election.
The bill also narrows the list of accepted photo IDs at the polls. Student ID cards, retirement center identification, debit and credit cards with a photo, neighborhood association identification, and public assistance IDs would no longer be accepted.
To get a better understanding of how this could affect voting in the state, Engage speaks with Orange County Supervisor of Elections Karen Castor Dentel.
Cathy Swerdlow is a current poll worker and the president of the nonpartisan organization League of Women Voters of Seminole County. She joins Engage and says Florida already has multiple safeguards in place to prevent election issues.
The Florida proposal mirrors one on the federal level. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act also called the SAVE America Act, passed the U.S. House in February. That Republican backed bill would make all federal voters prove they’re U.S. Citizens before voting. Critics say this is voter suppression not fraud prevention, noting that noncitizen voting is rare and illegal. Its supporters say it is needed to make sure only citizens vote in elections. Republican U.S. Congressman Mike Haridopolos’s federal district includes Brevard and Indian River as well as parts of Orange County. He joins Engage to explain why he says proof of citizenship is necessary and elaborate on his concerns about noncitizens voting.
Beyond the politics of these debates, there are constitutional questions about how far lawmakers can go in regulating elections. Leroy Purnell joins Engage. He is a professor at Florida A&M University College of Law in Orlando.
Iranian-Americans Celebrate
A Central Floridian is among the first American casualties of war in Iran. Captain Cody Khork from Winter Haven died in a drone strike on a U.S. command center in Kuwait, a day after the United States and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran last week that killed its Supreme Leader.
The Iranian monarchy was overthrown in 1979 and replaced by the Islamic Republic which has ruled ever since. Dozens of Central Floridians gathered in downtown Orlando to celebrate the possible end of that regime. Engage speaks to several people who attended including the organizer of Sunday’s demonstration, Pooyan Balouchian, the former President of the Iranian American Community Center of Central Florida.
Rep. Anna Eskamani on Iran
Questions remain about what comes next here and abroad. Representative Anna Eskamani is the first Iranian American elected to the Florida Legislature. The Orlando Democrat joins Engage. She says the Iranian people deserve freedom and self-determination, and at the same time, as an elected official she is concerned about consequences of prolonged U.S. military involvement.
Daylight Saving Affects Photographers
This weekend on Sunday March 8, it’s time to move the clocks forward one hour at 2 a.m. Sunrise and sunset happen later. We lose an hour of morning light, but the trade-off is we gain an hour of evening light. It’s an adjustment that affects people differently.
For Orlando photographer Claire Gibbs, the time change shifts her day significantly. She and her husband are wedding photographers in Orlando. At their company, That First Moment, they specialize in Disney weddings at the parks after hours and other big moments in Central Florida. Gibbs joins Engage to talk about the golden hour and the impact of Daylight Saving Time.
