In a wide-ranging interview with WLRN, Monica Elliott, the chairperson of voter services at the , talked about the nonpartisan group鈥檚 get-out-the-vote efforts, fears of election interference at the polls, voter apathy and the importance of local elections.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the local elections that probably affect your lives more than you ever realize, because everything we do at some point goes back to government. And it's the government officials that we elect who are determining how we are going to be able to live our lives,鈥� Elliott said.
In gearing up for the primary election in August and the upcoming Nov. 5 presidential election, the League of Women Voters of Broward County organized a series of 鈥渧irtual鈥� candidate forums for local candidates and embarked on an ad campaign through social media to urge more eligible county residents to register to vote.
The virtual candidate forums included Broward County School Board Districts, the Broward County Sheriff, Tax Collector and Clerk of Courts. The group also moderated a forum featuring the race for Mayor and City Commission in Lauderhill.
The group reported spending $1,800 on its social media campaign prior to the Aug. 20 primary and reached about 195,000 people. League officials said they were 鈥済ratified and surprised鈥� with the campaign.
Broward County is home to more than 1.1 million registered voters, according to the supervisor of elections office. About 513,000, or about 45%, are Democrats, followed by nearly 334,000 No Party Affiliation (NPA) voters, who comprise 29%. Registered Republicans represent 264,401, or 23%.
The deadline to register for the Nov. 5 election is this Monday, Oct. 7. To register to vote, you can do so online .
Below is a transcript of Elliott鈥檚 recent interview with 港澳天下彩producer Ammy Sanchez. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.
WLRN: What's different about this election season in South Florida, and how does the Broward League of Women Voters plan on responding to these changes?
Elliott: I think the biggest concern that we are hearing about is some people are afraid that there will be interference at the polls in terms of there might be bad actors, present outside the polls. It's certainly always a possibility, but I think by going to vote, you're proving that the system does work. I think voters should also be aware that there are nonpartisan groups who are watching the polls. There's an election protection coalition within Florida. There [are] 30 maybe even 50 nonpartisan organizations 鈥� and not at every polling location, but certainly at the ones where we expect there might be problems. Look for the T-shirts that say election protection, and we are there to help people navigate the system.
WLRN: What have you heard about why people feel like they shouldn't vote?
Elliott: There [are] a number of different issues. Some people think that their vote really doesn't matter 鈥� which of course is not true. Another one is that they don't understand the process, and so that might be a little bit intimidating. And that's probably true for young adult voters who are doing it for the first time. And that's one reason we would suggest that vote-by-mail may be most useful for them because it's something that they can do at their kitchen table or at Starbucks with their friends.
WLRN: So how would you answer to people's concerns about why they feel like they shouldn't vote?
Elliott: I think one place to go is actually to the supervisor of elections, their website. I know for Broward County, they have videos that explain exactly how the voting process works, especially if you're voting in person. There's always poll workers there to help you through all steps of the process.
WLRN: What are our rights as voters?
Elliott: If you're voting in person, either at early voting or on election day, there are no cameras. You're not allowed to take pictures of other people that are voting. So you don't have to worry about somebody taking a picture of you as you're voting.
You have the right, if you are in line by 7 p. m. on election day, to vote. So if you get there at 7:05, you're out of luck, but if you're there by 7 o'clock, the poll deputy will stand at the end of the line, and everybody who is in line by 7 p. m. is allowed to vote.
The other thing that you have the right, there sometimes are problems when you check-in, and perhaps with the poll worker not finding your name with the records of who's registered to vote. Always insist on voting. It's what is called a provisional ballot. It won't be run through the tabulator 鈥� through the DS200. It's put in a special envelope and set aside. And what will happen is that the supervisor of elections office will research the problem associated with that particular person.
WLRN: And how specifically could a person's vote impact our daily lives?
Elliott: That is where the local elections become so important. The people that we elect to our city commission, and our town councils, are impacting our lives because they do have local ordinances. In Broward County, we've already elected our school board officials, but those are the people that affect how we're going to be educating our young people. And it's the government officials that we elect who are determining how we are going to be able to live our lives.
You can find more information about this year鈥檚 election on our digital voting guide at . The League of Women Voters of Broward County also has a guide you can access .
