Apr 16, 20202 min read

Candidates to hold press conference in Tallahassee on ballot qualification issues

For Immediate Release

April 16, 2020

Members of the Ballot Requirement Initiative will be coming to make a public statement on the steps of the state capitol in Tallahassee

Tallahassee, FL — April 16, 2020 — Candidates from across party and state lines will come together on Thursday, April 16th at 12pm to hold a press conference, once again urging the governor to take action and give more direction for the upcoming petition and qualification deadlines. While Secretary Lee has issued an emergency ruling in relation to the coalitions request in the midst of the global pandemic, it has left candidates with more questions than answers.

Candidates from across the state will come together on the steps of the capital building in Tallahassee, while still practicing safe social distancing, to show Governor DeSantis that he and his administration need to take the candidates seriously to ensure not only the safety of Floridians, but also to ensure fair elections throughout the state.

To date, 50 candidates have signed on to support this initiative. These candidates range in political affiliation, seats they are running for, race, age, and gender to stand together to push for fair election and voter choice in the midst of the pandemic. Dr. Cindy Banyai (D), one of the co-sponsors of the bill along with Michael Bluemling Jr. (R), said she believes these steps are “necessary in order to ensure the health of our citizens and the integrity of the democratic process.” Dr. Cindy Banyai’s statement will be included in the rally by co-sponsor Michael Bluemling Jr. because she has been self-isolating since early March to protect the health of her vulnerable child who has a history of respiratory failure and immune issues.

Statement from Dr. Cindy Banyai, candidate for Florida Congressional District 19 on the bipartisan Ballot Requirement Initiative:

“I as the Democratic leader of the bipartisan Ballot Requirement Initiative believe that it is unreasonable to expect petition gathering and campaigning as usual during the coronavirus pandemic. Even the meager changes offered by the state fail to make a meaningful difference or address the barriers that exist for grassroots candidates or the time loss while decisionmakers dithered. Our candidate coalition has been asking for deadline extensions and reductions since the beginning of March without any significant or direct response from the governor or the secretary of state on either candidate concerns or concerns with the integrity of our elections process overall. The initiative coalition has now grown to 50 and now it is time to act to ensure voters have a choice in this election. We will not standby and watch you look the other way and let administrative mismanagement hamper this election and the future of Florida and our country.”