ORLANDO, Fla. — Researchers have studied whose mail-in ballots have been rejected in Florida over the past few years.
They found Hispanic and Black voters have had their mail-in ballots rejected at a higher rate.
Because more people are voting by mail this year, analysts say naturally, more ballots will be rejected.
Watch: 14-days out, Biden is ahead in Florida, so too were Clinton and Romney
Experts say the Latino vote in 2020 is critical.
So voting advocates from minority groups are making sure nothing, not even a rejected mail-in ballot, keeps their people from making a difference in this year’s election.
Thousands of mail-in ballots are being tallied, but some are already being tossed to the side.
Watch: Long lines on day 2 of early voting in Central Florida as turnout remains high
A professor at the University of Florida, along with other researchers, has been exploring Florida’s rejected mail-in ballots for years.
Their studies show mail-in ballots cast by Blacks and Latinos were much more likely to be rejected.
Read: How women voters in Florida could help sway the presidential election
In the 2018 general election, 9% of Florida’s mail-in ballots were cast by Black voters, but Black voters accounted for almost 15% of all the mail-in ballots that were rejected.
The data is even more dramatic for Hispanics. They made up 13.4% of all mail-in ballots, but accounted for 22.6% of all the ones rejected.
Cox Media Group
