Domestic absentee ballots to be mailed starting July 26
The Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office will begin sending vote-by-mail (absentee) ballots for the Aug. 30 Primary Election to absent stateside military voters and overseas military and civilian voters on July 15, according to Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent.
Domestic vote-by-mail ballots will be mailed beginning July 26, a news release says.
To request a vote-by-mail ballot, a voter may email absentee@SarasotaVotes.com, call 861-8618 or submit an online request from the Supervisor of Elections website at www.SarasotaVotes.com, the release adds.
Requests for ballots to be mailed must be received by the elections office no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 24, the release points out. To be counted, voted ballots must be returned to the Supervisor of Elections Office no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day, the release notes. They “may not be left at an early voting site or precinct,” the release says, adding that emphasis.
Dent reminds voters to return marked ballots early to avoid postal delays. The U.S. Postal Service has recommended voters return ballots at least one week before the deadline, the release adds.
With the exception of uniformed service and civilian voters living overseas, a voter who requests a ballot be mailed to an address other than the address on file in the Florida Voter Registration System must submit a signed written request to the elections office, the release explains.
Dent also encourages voters to update their signatures with the elections office as necessary. “A signature on the vote-by-mail ballot certificate must match the voter’s signature on file in the elections office to be counted,” the release points out. A voter may update his or her signature by submitting a Florida Voter Registration Application to the Supervisor of Elections Office. Signature updates must be received prior to the start of the absentee ballot canvass, which will be on Friday, Aug. 19, the release adds.