The Lake County Supervisor of Elections office sent its first mailing of requested vote-by-mail ballots to domestic voters yesterday, September 24th, for the upcoming General Election.

“In our initial mailing we sent 66,721 ballots to voters with a current request on file. We will be mailing them daily as new requests are received. The last day our office can mail out ballots is October 26th,” commented Lake County Supervisor, Alan Hays. Voters must have their request in for a vote-by-mail ballot by 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 24th to be included in these mailings. Voters who are unsure as to whether they have a current request in the system can check online at: https://www.lakevotes.com/Voting/Voter-Information. If a current request is not noted, a request can be made by following the prompts on the screen. Voters should also confirm the address on file is their current address to ensure the mail ballot is sent to the correct address.

Voters are urged to mark and return their ballot to the elections office as soon as they receive the ballot. The voted ballot MUST BE RECEIVED in the elections office no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day, November 3rd. Postage is paid to return via mail. Voted mail ballots may be dropped off at any early voting site during the Early Voting period of October 19th – 31st (between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.). Voted mail ballots may also be deposited in the curbside secure drop box located in the elections office parking lot at 1898 E. Burleigh Blvd in Tavares until 7 p.m. on Election Day.

The voter’s signature is required on the outside of the ballot return envelope. The signature on the return envelope will be compared to the signature on file with the Supervisor of Elections office. Voters can learn more about updating their signature by contacting the office at 352.343.9734. Voters are encouraged to provide email address and cell numbers for contact if a missing or mismatched signature occurs.

Voters who receive a mail ballot and decide to vote in person should bring their ballot to their polling location so it can be cancelled. They will then be issued a new ballot to vote at the polls. Be assured voting by mail (formerly absentee voting) is a well-established process in Florida. Many safeguards are in place to ensure your ballot is secure. To learn more about vote-by-mail processing in Lake County, please review the Vote-by-Mail Infographic posted on the homepage at www.LakeVotes.com. Additional voter education resources are available including a video with Supervisor Hays outlining how to request a vote-by-mail ballot and how the ballots are processed once received in their office. Voters may access the video by clicking the link: https://www.lakevotes.com/Educational-Resources. “Voters who have questions regarding voting by mail or any other voting option are welcome to call 352.343.9734 and our staff will be happy to assist,” Hays offered.