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New Election Law In Florida Is ‘Not As Bad As The Critics Say,’ Politico’s Marc Caputo Says

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Politico senior writer Marc Caputo said Friday that Florida’s new election bill “is not as bad as the critics say it is,” but it came from a lie.

“I guess I’m gonna say something that’s gonna get me in trouble in that, it’s not as bad as the critics say it is,” Caputo said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an election reform bill into law Thursday.

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The bill puts stricter regulations on absentee voting, prohibits ballot harvesting and private funding towards expenses linked to elections. Florida Republicans have said the bill would aid in securing election integrity.

Democrats called the bill a partisan push to limit voting throughout the state.

Florida voters, under the law, must request an absentee ballot in each election cycle as opposed to the prior mandate of every four years. No one, aside from poll workers, can give voters food or water within 150 feet of a polling place under the law.

NEW: News media is barred from entry at Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signing of controversial elections bill, SB 90. DeSantis spokeswoman Taryn Fenske says bill signing is a “Fox exclusive” pic.twitter.com/NAos6kmtQS

— Steve Bousquet (@stevebousquet) May 6, 2021

Caputo said the state’s bill was a response to false claims that voter fraud across the country, including swing states and Florida, caused former President Donald Trump to lose the 2020 election. Caputo noted that DeSantis said the state correctly conducting their election serves as an example.

“The problem is the former president had got the base so stirred up that these politicians had to react. So they made some changes around the edges,” Caputo said.

The Politico reporter listed various election measures and pointed out some had previously been installed in Miami-Dade county. Caputo said he’s grateful he resides in Florida with regard to voting since, unlike many states, people within the state have 30 days to mail their votes in.

“In the end, what you have here was a solution in search of a problem,” Caputo said.

“We have eight days of in-person early voting before Election Day, as a minimum and here in Miami-Dade county, we’ve got 14 days of that. And then you’ve got Election Day voting,” Caputo said.

Caputo said although voting in those aspects weren’t limited, small alterations will make it more difficult for some voters to submit absentee ballots and for voter registration. Caputo said alterations were also implemented for drop boxes.

“Those were done largely to kind of placate the base to say, you wanted us to do something, now we’ve done something,” Caputo said.