New congressional map will cost Florida taxpayers millions
Elections Supervisors prepare to notify Florida voters of district changes. FOX 13’s Evan Axelbank reports.
Florida redistricting costs climb as millions are spent to alert voters confused of changes
TAMPA, Fla. – Elections Supervisors in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties are preparing to send information to voters clarifying the districts in which they will be voting.
By the numbers:
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The cost in Hillsborough County is expected to exceed about $600,000, mostly on postage.
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In Pinellas County, the cost is expected to hit about $500,000.
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The districts were redrawn in Florida by the office of Gov. Ron DeSantis, and were approved last week by lawmakers mostly along party lines.
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The backstory:
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In just a few weeks, the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections office will run the addresses of all voters through their system and compare them with where the new district lines are.
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The biggest change will be in the cities of Tampa and St. Pete, where the 14th district represented by Kathy Castor is being broken into five separate districts.
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Three of those districts will be in Tampa, while two of them will encompass parts of St. Pete.
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“We never move the voter into a district. We always move the district around the voter,” said Hillsborough Elections Supervisor Craig Latimer. “It’s going to be a fact of overlaying these new district maps that we have throughout our county. And that’s what we’re going to be able to see. And we know that there’s an impact already. People’s numbers are changing greatly.”
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Dig deeper:
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The Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections office may have to adjust where some precincts are so that there aren’t multiple congressional elections being held in the same precinct.
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They are also going to send new voter information cards to all 800,000 voters that will list their voting locations and district numbers for state and federal offices.
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A similar process is underway in Pinellas County, where about 274,000 out of their 600,000 voters are being moved into new districts.
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“Every single election cycle, we work for consistency. So, anytime there’s a change of any kind, it worries voters,” said Pinellas County Deputy Elections Supervisor Dustin Chase. “Our job first is to ensure that they feel comfortable with the process. That’s where we spend the bulk of our time. Currently, we’re doing outreach to voters, making sure they feel comfortable with it, but any change is a big deal for them.”
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What’s next:
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Supervisors across the state say that sample ballots will be sent out to everyone ahead of the August primary, so definitely make sure that your information is correct and that you’re listed as being in the proper district.
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The Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections office says they have gotten calls from voters who are trying to make sure that they understand the upcoming changes.
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They stress that they have more than 400 outreach events every year to help people understand the entire process.
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The Source: Information for this story came from interviews with the supervisor of elections offices in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
