In a blatant attempt to suppress the will of the people, Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd is attempting to invalidate nearly 200,000 voter petitions submitted in support of putting recreational marijuana legalization on the 2026 ballot. These petitions—collected legally and in good faith—represent the voices of hundreds of thousands of Floridians who deserve to have their say at the ballot box.

The political committee Smart & Safe Florida has already collected over 600,000 signatures to bring this critical amendment forward. But now, Byrd and the Division of Elections are claiming that petitions mailed directly to voters should be tossed out because the full text of the proposed amendment wasn’t “provided or displayed”—despite the petitions including a clear link to that very text. This is a vague interpretation of an undefined rule, not established Florida law.

This isn’t just red tape—it’s voter suppression. Voters took the time to sign and return these petitions, trusting that their voices would count. To invalidate those signatures based on arbitrary new interpretations of the rules is to silence them entirely.

Let’s be clear: Floridians have already shown strong support for adult-use marijuana. In 2024, over 56% of voters backed a similar measure—falling short only because Florida requires a 60% threshold. This new 2026 proposal includes even more restrictions, banning public use and limiting possession to two ounces, directly addressing concerns raised by opponents of the earlier version.

The State of Florida should not be allowed to shift the goalposts mid-game. If officials are allowed to discard these signatures, it sets a dangerous precedent for any grassroots movement, regardless of political viewpoint.

We call on Secretary of State Cord Byrd and the Florida Division of Elections to stop trying to disenfranchise voters and immediately validate all lawfully submitted petitions. Let the people decide—at the ballot box.