Election season is right around the corner as voters in Monroe County are preparing to head to the polls (or their mailboxes), starting with Florida’s primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 18, and followed by the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3. As we enter one of the most paramount election seasons in recent years, it is the duty of citizens to be active voting members in our society. It is also important that young voters are prepared and motivated to vote. I asked a group of my peers about what questions they still had regarding the elections.
I am not 18 yet, can I still register to vote? Yes. In the state of Florida you can pre-register to vote when you turn 16. Simply go to RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov to get started. After you register, you will be able to vote in the upcoming 2020 presidential election as long as you turn 18 on or before Nov. 3.
Where do I go to vote? Your voting location can be found by accessing your voter information page on voterfocus.com. To get there, you can go to the website, RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov, and choose either “Register or Update” or “Am I Already Registered?” After signing in, click on the “Ballot and Precinct Information” link at the bottom of the page. This page will give you the address of your polling location. You can choose to drop off your mail-in ballots in person at this voting location, as long as they are turned in by 7 p.m. on election night.
Am I still able to vote when I move away to college? Yes. In this case, you would want to request an absentee ballot. In Florida, you can request an absentee ballot 10 days before an election. (It’s too late for the primary, but plenty of time for the November election.) Your ballot must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day at one of three elections offices in the Keys. If you have not mailed your ballot by Election Day, the Keys’ supervisor of elections advises voters to bring it to the polling place and hand it to a volunteer. The U.S. Postal Service recommends mailing your ballot 14 days prior to Election Day. This ensures your ballot is received by the deadline and your vote is counted.
Am I able to see if my mail-in ballot is counted? Yes. After checking your voter status or registering to vote on RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov, click on the “Ballot and Precinct Information” link at the bottom of the page. This link will send you to voterfocus.com which allows you to track the status of your ballot online. This page will update you when your mail-in ballot has been received and has been counted.
What is the difference between an absentee ballot and a mail-in ballot? A mail-in ballot is a broad term that refers to ballots that are sent through the mail. Due to COVID-19, some states decided to send out mail-in ballots to registered voters to reduce the risk of catching or spreading the virus when going to a polling location. An absentee ballot refers to a ballot that is filled out by a voter who cannot physically make it to a voting location on Election Day. In Florida, registered voters do not have to give a reason to request an absentee ballot, which is referred to as a no-excuse absentee ballot. Both terms mean the same thing: to vote by mail. The only difference is the circumstance under which it is received by the voter.
