JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Election officials are seeing a huge spike in the number of people requesting vote-by-mail ballots in Jacksonville.
You have until Oct. 5, 2020, to register to vote in the November Election in Florida, and if you want to vote by mail in Florida the Supervisor of Elections Office has to receive your request by Oct. 24, 2020.
Duval County Supervisor of Elections Mike Hogan said the number one mistake he sees voters make is not following the instructions included with their mail ballot.
“They will put a checkmark, or they'll put an 'X' mark. or worse yet, they will go all the way across the box instead of coloring in the oval next to the name they'll circle the party,” Hogan explained.
In Duval County, make sure you use a black pen to fill in the oval completely next to your choice.
“They will use pencil. It doesn't read pencil. They will use blue or purple. It doesn't read those colors, so we have to redo those ballots,” Hogan said.
And don't forget to sign your name on the outside of the return envelope.
“It is an issue. It's getting better,” Hogan said. “We accept the signature if it matches the signature on file.”
You can update your signature in person or by filling out and mailing in a form that’s available on the Supervisor of Elections website.
Hogan suggests you put your phone number and email address on the return envelope so you can quickly be contacted if there is a problem.
“If you put it there it's not a public record,” Hogan said. “I don't have to give that phone number. I don't have to give out that e-mail address.”
Make sure you mail or return your ballot in person in enough time for it to be counted. Ballots must be received at the Supervisor of Elections Office by 7 p.m. on Election Day unless you're overseas.
“The military ballots can come in through 10 days past the election so we're still counting military ballots ten days after the election,” Hogan said.
You can request a mail-in ballot by filling out an online form on the Supervisor of Elections website or in writing by email, fax or mail. You can track your ballot online.