Voting Safely with Options

Voting during a pandemic creates health and safety concerns, especially for high-risk groups. However, there are ways to ensure you are able to exercise your constitutional right to vote.

Vote by Mail provides options. Though you may prefer to vote in-person, think of it as an insurance policy if you feel differently about voting in person closer to the upcoming elections.

Though the ballot is mailed to you, mailing it back is just

one of three return options.

Vote-by-mail ballots can be 1) returned to by mail, 2) dropped off at the Supervisor of Elections office or 3) dropped off at an early voting location.

Don’t forget to sign and date the back of the envelope.

What Are the Advantages of Requesting a Vote by Mail Ballot?

• Safety – Eliminates or reduces your possible

Photo by Tiffany Tertipes on Unsplash

exposure to COVID-19 when voting Options – You decide how to cast your ballot Time – Time to learn about the candidates and make a more informed choice Trackable – You can follow up to make sure your ballot was received

Who Can Vote by Mail?

All qualified voters are permitted to use a vote-bymail ballot under Florida law.

What Are the Deadlines to Request and Return a Ballot?

5 p.m. on the 10th day before Election Day is the deadline for a request for a ballot to be mailed. (October 23 for the November 3 General Election.)

All ballots must be received in the Supervisor of Elections’ office no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day. A voter, or someone designated by the voter, may request a vote-by-mail ballot from the Supervisor of Elections in person, by mail, by email, by telephone or using an online form. The person requesting a vote-by-mail ballot must disclose the name, address and date of birth of the voter for whom the ballot is requested and the requester’s relationship to the voter. The requester’s signature is required for written request only.

How Can I Check the Status of my Ballot?

Mail ballot voters can track the status of their ballot, including when the ballot was mailed and when it was received in the elections office.

What if I Forgot to Sign My Ballot or my Signature Doesn’t Match?

This can be resolved. If you returned your vote-by-mail ballot and your supervisor of elections informs you that you forgot to sign your ballot or that the signature did not match your signature on file, your Supervisor of Elections will contact you with steps to ensure your ballot is counted.

Can I Pick Up a Vote-ByMail Ballot in Person?

A voter may pick up a voteby-mail ballot in person at the Supervisor of Elections’ Office. A designee may also pick up a vote-by-mail ballot for a voter beginning 5 days before Election Day. A designee may only pick up two ballots per election, other than his or her own ballot or ballots for members of his or her immediate family. Designees must have written authorization from the voter, present a picture I.D. and sign an affidavit.

What if I Now Want to Vote in Person Instead?

If you have a vote-by-mail ballot but wish to vote at an early voting location or in your precinct on Election Day, take the ballot with you to the polls to surrender it, whether or not it has been completed. However, if you are unable to return the ballot you received, you will still be able to vote.

Are There Restrictions on Delivering or Collecting Ballots?

Yes. Pursuant to section 104.0616, “Any person who provides or offers to provide, and any person who accepts, a pecuniary or other benefit in exchange for distributing, ordering, requesting, collecting, delivering, or otherwise physically possessing more than two vote-by-mail ballots per election in addition to his or her own ballot or a ballot belonging to an immediate family member, except as provided in ss. 101.6105-101.695, commits a misdemeanor of the first degree.”

For more information, please contact your Supervisor of Elections’ Office: Escambia County: (850) 595- 3900 or www.escambiavotes.gov Santa Rosa County: (850) 983-1900 or votesantarosa.com.