Elections supervisor urging voters to return vote-by-mail (absentee) ballots promptly

Ballots must be received by elections office staff no later than 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8

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

Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner is reminding voters who choose to vote by mail (absentee) in the March 8 School District Referendum and County Charter Referendum that voted ballots must be received by the elections office no later than 7 p.m. on election night to be counted.

“Voted ballots may be returned by mail or in person,” Turner pointed out in s news release. The cost to return a ballot by mail for the March 8 referendums is one “Forever” stamp or 58 cents postage, Turner added in the release.

He noted that ballots also may be returned to secure drop boxes located inside [his emphasis] elections offices, as follows:

  • Downtown Sarasota — now through Friday, Feb 25, weekdays only (Monday through Friday), 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Venice — Saturday, Feb 26, through Monday, March 7, daily, including weekends, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • North Port — Tuesday, March 8 (Election Day) 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The elections offices stand at the following locations:

  • Terrace Building, 2001 Adams Lane, Sarasota, 34237.
  • R.L. Anderson Building, 4000 Tamiami Trail S., Room 114, Venice, 34293.
  • Biscayne Plaza, 13640 Tamiami Trail, North Port, 34287.

In addition, the release notes, a secure vote-by-mail drop box will be available inside the North Sarasota Library early voting site during the early voting period (Saturday, Feb 26, through Sunday, March 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily).

“Any registered voter may request a ballot online at SarasotaVotes.gov/VotebyMail or by calling 941-861-8618,” Turner added in the release. “The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot be mailed to a voter is 5 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 26,” he said.

For more information, contact the elections office at 941-861-8619 or visit SarasotaVotes.gov.