Supervisor of elections urges voters to consider voting by mail for primary and general elections

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For Aug. 28 primaries, deadline for requesting ballot is 5 p.m. on Aug. 22

Image from the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections website on July 11

Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner is suggesting that county voters consider voting by mail for the Aug. 28 primary and the Nov. 6 general elections to save a trip to the polling place on Election Day.

“Vote-by-mail has been growing in popularity over the past several years and is a convenient alternative to Election Day voting, especially with longer ballots,” Turner said in a news release. “The Nov. 6 ballot in Sarasota County will contain multiple questions, including 13 proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution, as well as county and municipal charter questions,” he added in the release.

In addition to questions, the November ballot — which is expected to comprise two pages — will contain races for U.S. Senate and U.S. Congress; the Florida offices of governor, attorney general, chief financial officer and commissioner of agriculture; state Senate and state House; County Commission; Sarasota County Charter Review Board; Sarasota Memorial Hospital Board; Sarasota County School Board; several judicial contests; and a number of municipal and special district races, the release points out.

“Vote-by-mail is a very convenient option that allows voters more time to consider the questions and candidates,” Turner said in the release. “It’s a good idea to plan ahead and be prepared.”

Any voter may choose to vote by mail, the release notes. A request for a vote-by-mail ballot may be submitted online at SarasotaVotes.com or by phone to 861-8618. A vote-by-mail ballot may be requested for a specific election or through all available elections through 2020, the release explains.

A voter who would like a ballot mailed to him or her for the Aug. 28 primary election must make the request by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 22, while the deadline to request for the general election is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31, the release adds.

Voted ballots may be returned by mail or in person, the release notes, but they must reach any one of the following three Supervisor of Elections offices by 7 p.m. on election night:

  • Sarasota County Terrace Building, located at 2001 Adams Lane in downtown Sarasota.
  • R.L. Anderson Administration Building, located at 4000 Tamiami Trail S. in Venice.
  • Biscayne Plaza, located at 13640 Tamiami Trail in North Port.

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