Bradenton, FL – Indivisible Manatee reports an impressive turn-out for the first of a series of community meetings to engage local residents. The “Right to Vote: Understanding the New Rules” event took place earlier this week at the downtown Bradenton Library and featured Scott Farrington, Manatee County Supervisor of Elections. Organizers say the event was a huge success, filling the meeting room to capacity with 80 participants.
Presented by Indivisible Manatee (IM), the 90-minute program explained the changes to voting rules in Florida that went into effect in 2026. Attendees learned how to check their Voter Registration and Vote-By-Mail (VBM) status. Farrington stated that VBM enrollment in Manatee County dropped dramatically from 48% in 2024 to 31% in 2025. He says that many people do not know that as a result of recent changes to Florida voting laws their VBM was canceled after the last election and that they must re-enroll every two years.
IM highly recommends that all Manatee County residents sign up for VBM because it will trigger a ballot being sent to their homes one month ahead of an election which will provide them time to research the issues and candidates. VBM allows voters the option of voting in person, placing their ballot in the secure box at the Supervisor of Elections Office or mailing in their completed ballot. IM also encourages signing-up for Ballot Trax which allows voters to confirm that their ballots were received and counted.
IM will be presenting informational meetings on a monthly basis in 2026. The next Community Meeting will take place on February 17th at the Braden River Library. The panel discussion will be titled “Freedom on Speech: A Right Under Fire.”
Sponsors of the January program included the Manatee Community Foundation; Bradenton-Sarasota Chapter of The Links Incorporated, GAMMA Xi Chapter of the Boule, Inc., Manatee League of Women Voters. Students from State College of Florida (SCF) videotaped the presentation which will be made available for distribution within the community. For more information on the event or Indivisible Manatee, contact IndManateeinfo@gmail.com.
