After confusion with vote by mail in the 2020 election, Florida has paved the way for a more succinct statewide system to ensure your vote is counted.
Vote-by-mail allows registered voters to cast their ballots without voting in person during early voting or on Election Day. Here’s how the new statewide system will work.
- A voter can request that a ballot be sent to them or picked up in person.
- Duration of Request:
- A vote-by-mail request covers all elections from the submission date until the end of the calendar year of the next regularly scheduled general election.
- The request must be renewed after this period.
- If a ballot is returned undeliverable, it cancels the request on record.
- How to Request a Vote-by-Mail Ballot:
- Requests can be made by signed writing (Form DS-DE 160), in person at the Supervisor of Elections’ office, or by phone.
- Required information includes the voter’s name, date of birth, address, Florida driver license/ID or last four digits of social security number, and the voter’s signature if the request is written.
- Who Can Request a Ballot:
- The voter, immediate family members, legal guardian, or a designee for a voter with a disability can request a ballot.
- Additional information is required if the request is made on behalf of the voter.
- Deadline to Request and Mail Ballots:
- The deadline to request a ballot by mail is no later than 5 p.m. on the 12th day before the election.
- Supervisors must mail the ballot within 2 business days after a request but no later than the 10th day before the election.
- Ballot Pick-Up:
- Voters can pick up their ballots once they are available.
- Voters can designate another person to pick up their ballot, but designees are limited to picking up ballots for two other voters per election.
- An affidavit (Form DS-DE 162) is required for ballot pick-up.
- Voting and Returning the Ballot:
- Instructions are included with the vote-by-mail ballot; no witness requirement exists.
- Ballots must be received by the Supervisor of Elections’ office by 7:00 pm on Election Day to be counted.
- Tracking and Curing Ballots:
- Voters can track their ballot status online through the county Supervisor of Elections’ website.
- If a signature is missing or mismatched, voters can submit a “Vote-by-Mail Ballot Cure” Affidavit (Form DS-DE 139) with ID by 5 p.m. on the second day after the election.
- Special Provisions:
- Additional information is available for military and overseas voters, and accessible voting methods for persons with disabilities.
For more detailed information, visit the Duval County Supervisor of Elections’ office and at the same time confirm that all your pertinent information is valid. Due to the new law, vote by mail requests will need to be renewed after every General election. So make note of this and check out your personal information here.