Supervisor of elections to make available drop boxes for return of vote-by-mail ballots during early voting period

Boxes will be within all elections offices and early voting sites

The Supervisor of Elections Office in North Port is located in Biscayne Plaza. Image from google Maps

Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner has announced the placement of secure vote-by-mail ballot drop boxes inside Sarasota County elections offices and all designated early voting sites, beginning with the March 17 Presidential Preference Primary.

The goal, a news release says, is “to make the return of vote-by-mail ballots more convenient.”

“As always, voters will be able to return their voted ballots by mail or in person to any one of the three elections offices in Sarasota,” the release adds: the Terrace Building, located at 2001 Adams Lane in Sarasota; Biscayne Plaza, located at 13640 Tamiami Trail in North Port; and the R.L. Anderson Administration Center, located at 4000 Tamiami Trail S. in Venice. Voters may return their vote-by-mail ballots during normal business hours, which are Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and until 7 p.m. on Election Night, the release points out.

In addition, voters will be able to drop their voted ballots into drop boxes located inside all early voting sites during early voting hours only, the release points out. For the March 17 Presidential Preference Primary, early voting will be available at all the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections offices, plus Sarasota Square Mall, located at 8201 S. Tamiami Trail, and at the Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library, located at 2801 Newtown Blvd. The early voting dates are Saturday, March 7, through Saturday, March 14, the release notes. The hours will be 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.

Whether dropped off in person or returned by mail, all vote-by-mail ballots, with the exception of ballots returned by oversees voters, must be received by the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office no later than 7 p.m. on Election Night to be counted, the release stresses. Overseas ballots must be postmarked or signed and dated by Election Day, March 17, and received in the Elections Office by March 27, the release adds.

Any voter may vote by mail. A request for a vote-by-mail ballot may be submitted online at SarasotaVotes.com or by phone to 861-8618, the release points out. A vote-by-mail ballot may be requested for a specific election or for all available elections through 2022, the release says.

A voter who would like a ballot mailed to him or her for the March 17 Presidential Preference Primary must make the request no later than 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, the release emphasizes.

For more information, contact the Supervisor of Elections Office at 861-8618 or visit SarasotaVotes.com.