JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Nearly two-thirds of Duval County's registered voters cast their ballot before Election Day.
Behind the scenes, there have been thousands of ballots rejected by the tabulators due to voter error requiring the canvassing board to determine voter intent. When a voter doesn’t follow the instructions, their ballot must go to a review.
The instructions are to completely fill-in your choice. What the board is looking at is when folks do not fill in the ovals or they make checks or cross out names. Duval County Supervisor of Elections Mike Hogan said for those last ballots to be turned in on Election Day, check the ballot and bubbles.
“It’s absolutely important because you’ve viewed these, and it’s very difficult to figure out the voter’s intent, so if you mark it correctly there’s no problem for us," Hogan said.
He explained the office expects to be finished on Election Night or early morning hours of Wednesday.
“We going to stay here until we finish counting. We’re not going to go home. It doesn’t matter what the time is," Hogan said.
On Monday the board reviewed hundreds of provisional ballots where signatures or identification questions arose. Additionally, 250 ballots were re-reviewed after former canvassing board chair Judge Brent Shore resigned.