The dramatic plunge in requests for vote-by-mail ballots proves two things: Voter suppression works, and it’s up to every Floridian to protect their access to the ballot box. Local elections supervisors are doing what they can, but Florida voters must look after themselves in overcoming these new hurdles.

Tampa Bay is facing a steep drop in mail ballot requests ahead of this year’s presidential election, thanks to changes in state law under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP-led Legislature. The sponsors maintained the shift would make voter rolls more secure.

Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties have far fewer mail ballot requests for this year’s general election cycle than they did in the 2022 midterms, as the Tampa Bay Times’ Nina Moske reported recently. As of last week, fewer than 42,000 Pasco voters had requested mail-in ballots for the general election, compared to more than 124,400 requests two years ago.

Hillsborough reported fewer than 155,500 vote-by-mail requests for elections this year, compared to more than 335,600 requests for the midterms. Pinellas reported about 232,900 requests this year, compared to more than 332,800 requests in 2022.

These drop-offs of up to more than 50% illustrate the wrecking ball that lawmakers took to the electoral process. Counties scrubbed their existing ballot requests after the 2022 election because of a change in state law that requires voters to request a mail ballot each general election cycle every two years.

Critics complain that these and other voting changes particularly affect low-income voters and those with limited transportation options, groups that tend to support Democrats. Abdelilah Skhir, senior strategist at the ACLU of Florida, said the drop-off could mean lower turnout this year from marginalized groups and occasional voters, adding that the hardest hit would be the poor, elderly and those with limited mobility who already face higher barriers to getting to the polling place.

This all means extra work and extra initiative on the part of elections offices and voters alike. Vote-by-mail is convenient, secure and enormously popular across Tampa Bay; in the 2022 general elections, nearly half of Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas voters cast ballots by mail.

Registered voters can request a vote-by-mail ballot until 12 days before an election. With primary elections in August, county elections supervisors are scrambling to reach voters to update their registries. The Pasco Supervisor of Elections office has sent tens of thousands of postcards to voters whose requests were erased after 2022. Pinellas has sent more than 100,000 letters and emails reminding voters to re-request mail ballots. Hillsborough has sent hundreds of thousands of notices to voters in multiple waves. Elections officials are also writing newspaper columns, communicating on social media and speaking to civic groups. These are laudable efforts to expand voter participation that local supervisors should continue.

Voters should contact their county elections office to request a mail ballot or to check the status of their registration. This takes only a minute and many services are available online. Florida’s new restrictions are a hassle, but mail voting is still reliable, easy and secure. Don’t wait too long this election year before ensuring that your vote will count.

Where to request a mail-in ballot

Voters can request a mail ballot or check the status of their registration by contacting their local county elections office.

In Hillsborough, call 813-612-4180 or click here.

In Pasco, call 800-851-8754 or click here.

In Pinellas, call 727-464-8683 or click here.

Editorials are the institutional voice of the Tampa Bay Times. The members of the Editorial Board are Editor of Editorials Graham Brink, Sherri Day, Sebastian Dortch, John Hill, Jim Verhulst and Chairman and CEO Conan Gallaty. Follow @TBTimes_Opinion on Twitter for more opinion news.