Sarasota County voters who requested a vote-by-mail ballot should start checking their mailboxes. More than 77,000 ballots went out Thursday for the Nov. 3 general election, following last week’s mailing to military and overseas voters. It’s a big number, but not a surprising one: more than 53,000 county voters cast mail ballots in the Aug. 18 primary, and Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner says voting by mail remains a secure and convenient way to vote.
Two deadlines matter most. First, if you haven’t requested a mail ballot yet, you have until 5 p.m. on Oct. 22. Requests can be made online, by phone, or in person at elections offices in Sarasota, Venice or North Port. Second, your voted ballot must be received by the elections office no later than 7 p.m. on election night. Florida does not count postmarks, so mailing it the day before the election is a real risk. Return it by mail early or hand-deliver it.
One more thing worth checking before you seal the envelope: your signature. The signature on your return envelope must match the signature on file with the elections office. If yours has changed over the years, or if you’re a snowbird who registered decades ago, take a few minutes to update it so your ballot counts without a hitch. Have you requested your mail ballot yet, or are you heading to the polls in person?
