Polk County ‘Vote by Mail’ (aka Absentee) Ballots are being mailed to voters this week. It is important to return your ballot as soon as possible. If you have not requested your absentee ballot yet, call (863) 534-5888 or Click Here. Deadline for request must be made no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday before the election, and received by the Supervisor of Elections office no later than 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 4th.
Following are the Most Frequently Asked Questions about Vote by Mail:
QUESTION: WHEN MAY A VOTER REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT?
Answer: Deadline for request must be made no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday before the election.
QUESTION: HOW MAY A PERSON REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT?
• Call Election Headquarters at (863) 534-5888
• Fill Out Request click here
• Stop By Election Headquarters at 250 South Broadway Avenue, Bartow, Florida 33830
QUESTION: MAY A PERSON OTHER THAN THE VOTER REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT?
Answer: Only the voter, a member of the voter’s immediate family, or the legal guardian may request an absentee ballot. A requester other than the voter must provide his/her name, address, drivers license (if available) and relationship to the voter, and must have permission from the voter to make such request.
QUESTION: MAY I PICK UP AN ABSENTEE BALLOT?
Answer: A registered voter may pick up an absentee ballot at any Supervisor of Elections offices with picture identification.
QUESTION: MAY I PICK UP A BALLOT FOR ANOTHER PERSON?
Answer: You may pick up an absentee ballot for another person if:
• The request is made no earlier than the fifth day prior to election day
• You have a letter signed by the voter giving you authority to pick up a ballot
• You present picture ID of yourself and complete an affidavit
QUESTION: CAN ABSENTEE BALLOTS BE SENT TO ANY ADDRESS?
Answer: Yes. A ballot may be sent to the voter’s current mailing address. For a ballot to be mailed to an address other than the mailing address on file, the request must be done in writing with the voter’s signature. Click Here for Vote By Mail Brochure.
QUESTION: MAY A CANDIDATE SOLICIT REQUESTS FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS?
Answer: Yes. However, if you are going to solicit by mail, we urge you to let us review your mailer to make sure that it asks for the correct information from the voter.
QUESTION: WILL AN ABSENTEE BALLOT BE COUNTED IF IT IS MAILED ON ELECTION DAY?
Answer: An absentee ballot is only counted if it is received in the Election Headquarters by 7:00 p.m. election day.
QUESTION: CAN I BRING MY ABSENTEE BALLOT TO MY PRECINCT ON ELECTION DAY?
Answer: If you do, you will be required to turn in that ballot and vote at the precinct.
QUESTION: WHAT IF I REQUEST A BALLOT, BUT DON’T MAIL IT IN?
Answer: Up until 7:00 p.m. on election day you can turn it in at Supervisor of Elections office. Or, if you decide to vote at your precinct, take the ballot and turn it in and vote a precinct ballot.
QUESTION: HOW TO CORRECT A MISSING SIGNATURE ON YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT?
Answer: If you returned your absentee ballot to your supervisor of elections, but forgot to sign the ballot, your ballot will not count unless you complete and return the Omitted Signature Affidavit for Absentee Ballot no later than 5 p.m. on the day before the election. Please follow the instructions on the form carefully, as failure to follow these instructions may cause your ballot not to count.
