Voters in Florida’s Broward County are complaining of voter suppression after being blocked from accessing a public polling site that was moved inside a gated community.
Florida NPR-affiliate WLRN reported several voter complaints about the precinct in Le Club Century Village.
Voters said that security guards at the entrance to the gated community were refusing to let them through without showing ID, prompting long lines and confrontations.
{mosads}Katherine Polizzi, a Florida voter, told WLRN that the situation felt like “voter suppression,” because the state does not require ID for voters casting provisional ballots.
She also raised concerns that the security guards worked for a private company, saying “Who are they? And what are they doing with my information?”
Polizzi told WLRN that the guards ultimately let her through without showing ID, but not without argument.
The Broward Supervisor of Elections Office received complaints about the polling location in the state’s August primary elections, according to WLRN, who obtained the complaints through a public records request. The polling place was previously located at a community center not located in the gated community.
Patricia Santiago, an assistant to Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes, told WLRN that the office was not “aware” of the primary complaints.
She said that the office is “trying to talk to the facility to see if they will accept” not taking IDs on Election Day, but that the gated community has refused due to concerns about resident safety.
Voters in Florida are casting ballots in a number of key races. The state’s gubernatorial race between former Rep. Ron DeSantis (R) and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (D), and the Senate battle between Gov. Rick Scott (R) and Sen. Bill Nelson (D), have drawn national attention.
Both races have been shown to be neck-and-neck in recent polls.