PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — In back-to-back messages, just days apart, Florida supervisors of elections are speaking directly to voters about election integrity.
In a letter, Monday, bipartisan supervisors statewide pushed against fraud rhetoric as the state heads toward next week's local elections on Nov. 2.
"During and after the 2020 Presidential Election, the integrity of our democracy has been challenged by misinformation, disinformation and mal-information that sows discord and undermines trust in America's electoral process," the supervisors wrote. "Many of us have been threatened by our fellow citizens who have been led astray by these deceptions."
This same sentiment was echoed in an earlier message, last week, titled "Our Democracy, Our Priority," where Florida's Republican and Democratic elections supervisors urged lawmakers and candidates to "tone down the rhetoric and stand up for our democracy."
"The Great American Experiment, our cherished democracy, is under threat. Our nation is only as strong as the faith our citizens have that their voice — their vote — has a say in our government. In this hour, public trust in our elections is being systematically undermined, to the detriment of all Americans," the message read.
Both letters are an ask for government leaders and those vying for a seat in office — in a state where Gov. Ron DeSantis touted the "most transparent and efficient election anywhere in the country" — to be mindful of undermining democracy.
But in Florida, like elsewhere across the country, misinformation about the 2020 presidential race has those who help run elections more so concerned about the future.
"We are dedicated to the cause of election integrity, ensuring that every eligible voter's ballot is counted accurately and that no fraud takes place," reads the letter from the Florida Supervisors of Elections.
"But false claims of fraud do not strengthen our elections. Instead, they degrade confidence in the institutions and discourage citizen participation in our democracy," the letter continues.
The state's election supervisors said voters should feel comfortable with the process and when in doubt get the facts directly from their local trusted election experts.
"I just want to help instill confidence with the voters here, that their elections are being run fairly and smoothly in Sarasota County," said the county's supervisor of elections, Ron Turner.
Turner also serves as the vice president on the Executive Committee of Florida Supervisors of Elections.
"Our right to vote is one of the most cherished and important rights that we have as Americans, as Floridians, and as Supervisor of Elections, my staff and I, as well as the election officers here in Florida, we take that very seriously," Turner said.
Election supervisors said they work to ensure elections are accurate, fair and secure whether at the national level or at the local level.
"We do a public test of the voting equipment to make sure every piece of equipment deployed works the way that it's supposed to and that it is also tabulating votes the way it's supposed to," Turner said. "Florida has a lot of good laws and a lot of great procedures on the books and our team here in Sarasota County, they are working hard, and they do a great job for the voters here."
Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of attorneys announced an organization in late September aimed at helping election officials fight back against lawsuits stemming from elections.
The Election Official Legal Defense Network is the first organization that is providing pro-bono legal help and advice for election officials, a service that had not been considered necessary until recently.