J1I.nn!Mc!Fa [ Supervisor of Elections Volusia County, Florida. Absentee Voting Guide CONTACT I NFORMATION

Transcription

1 J1I.nn!Mc!Fa [ Supervisor of Elections Volusia County, Florida Absentee Voting Guide CONTACT I NFORMATION Department of Elections Historic Courthouse 125 West New York Avenue Deland, Fl Southeast Volusia (386) Northeast Volusia (386) West Volusia (386) Osteen (386) (ext ) Web Site: Absentee Requests: VCEAbsentee@co.volusia.fl.us All Other: elections@co.volusia.fl.us

2 Absentee Voting Guide Version 1.01 Overview The information in this document is provided as a guide for anyone who wants to familiarize themselves with absentee voting procedures in the State of Florida. It is not meant to be used to interpret Florida statutes and is not intended to be all inclusive of absentee voting statutes. It is the responsibility of each individual to familiarize themselves with the relevant Florida and Federal statutes as deemed necessa ry for the purposes of exercising their right to vote. Eligibility to Vote by Absentee Ballot Any qualified registered voter in the State of Florida who resides in Volusia County, and has not yet cast a ballot, may vote by absentee ballot in any election in which t hey are eligible to vote. Requesting an Absentee Ballot Who: A request for an absentee ballot may be made by a voter; or by an immediate fa mily member or legal guardian of the voter with the voter's permission. " I mmediate family member" means the voter's spouse, parent, child, grandparent, or sibli ng of the voter or of their spouse. How: A request for an absentee ballot may be made by phoning or coming to the Department of Elect ions; on-line using the Department's web site; via ; or in writing. Written requests may be faxed, mailed, or delivered in person to t he Depa rtment. There are no restrictions on who may deliver a voter's signed written request to the Department. It is preferred that written requests be made using the Absentee Ballot Request Form (available on our web site or at the Department), however it is not required to do so. Overseas citizens and active members of the military may request an absentee ballot using a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). What: The following information must be provided: The voter's name, residence address, permanent mailing address (if different from the residence address), and date of birth. Indication of where the ballot is to be mailed. If the address is different from the voter's residence or permanent mailing address, the reason why must be stated in the request. The election(s) for which the ballot is being requested. If none are specified, a ballot will be sent, as available, for all elections the voter is eligible to vote through two regularly scheduled general elections. If a qualified family member or legal guardian is making the request, they must state that they have been instructed by the voter to do so and what their relationship is to the voter. They must also provide their name, residence address, and driver's license number (if available.) It is helpful if the voter's phone and/or address is provided in the event it is necessary to contact them concerning their request. All written requests for absentee ballots must be signed by the elector or the requestor. 1

3 Version 1.01 Absentee Voting Guide When: Requests may be made at any time during a calendar year for all elections through two regularly scheduled elections. Requests for absentee ballots to be mailed for a specific election, cannot however, be accepted after the sixth day prior that election. Delivery of an Absentee Ballot As soon as ballots are available, they are mailed to the address requested by the voter or may be picked up by the voter in the office of the Supervisor or Elections. They may also be voted in person in the office of the Supervisor prior to or after the early voting period. A voter may also request in writing to have their ballot picked up by a designee starting the fifth day prior to an election; however, no person may be designated to pick up ballots for more than two other persons except if they are for immediate family members. Voting an Absentee Ballot Instructions for voting by absentee ballot are mailed to the voter along with the ballot and should be followed very carefully. The voter must personally vote the ballot (unless assistance is required due to blindness, disability, or inability to read or write). The voter must sign or make his or her mark where indicated on the Voter's Certificate printed on the outside of the return mailing envelope for the ballot to be accepted as valid. Returning an Absentee Ballot Voted absentee ballots must be returned in order to arrive at the Supervisor's office no later than 7:00 p.m. on Election Day in the envelope provided for that purpose. Ballots received after such time will not be counted. With respect to the presidential preference primary and the general election, any absentee ballot cast for a federal office by an overseas elector which is signed and postmarked, or signed and dated no later than the date of the federal election, shall be counted if received no later than 10 days from the date of the federal election as long as it is otherwise proper. Voted absentee ballots must be returned in the envelope provided for this purpose by mail or in person by the voter or by any other person requested to do so by the voter. Voted absentee ballots may be returned in person to the Supervisor's office or to an early voting site, however, they may not be returned to a polling site on Election Day. Once an absentee ballot is received by the Supervisor, the ballot is deemed to have been cast and changes or additions may not be made to the Voter's Certificate. Canvassing of Absentee Ballots Upon receipt of a voted absentee ballot, the Supervisor compares the signature of the voter on the Voter's Certificate with the signature as shown on the voter's registration record. The signature at the start of the canvass of the absentee ballots is the signature used in verifying the signature on the Voter's Certificate. The ballot will be referred to the canvassing board if the signature is not as shown on the registration record. The canvassing board makes the determination of whether or not the signature is that of the voter and to accept the ballot. The county canvassing board may begin the canvassing of absentee ballots and the processing through tabulating equipment starting at 7 a.m. on the sixth day before the election. 2

4 ~""'\ ~ ~ Absentee Voting Guide I".II/r""J!.4' Version 1.01 Absentee Ballot Voting Violations Any person who provides or offers to provide, and any person who accepts, a pecuniary or other benefit in exchange for distributing, ordering, requesting, collecting, delivering, or otherwise physically possessing absentee ballots, with intent to alter, change, modify, or erase any vote on the absentee ballot, except as provided in ss , commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s , s , or s Except as provided in s or s , any person who requests an absentee ballot on behalf of an elector is guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s , s , or s Absentee Voter Lists The Supervisor maintains a record of each request for an absentee ballot, which is available to: a political party or official thereof, a candidate who has filed qualification papers and is opposed in an upcoming election, registered political committees, or registered committees of continuous existence, for political purposes only. A certification of eligibility to receive a list must be filed with the Supervisor prior to obtaining a list. An order form noting the format, etc., must also be submitted with the Supervisor's office. Costs for such lists vary depending on the type requested. Referenced Florida Statutes, Rules & Opinions 97.04i-Qualifications to register or vote Update of voter signature i-Electors seeking assistance in casting ballots; Request for absentee ballot Delivery of absentee ballot; envelope; Instructions to absent electors i-Voting absentee ba llots Safekeeping of mailed ballots; deadline for receiving absentee ballots Canvassing of absentee ballots Mailing of ballots upon receipt of FPCA Absentee ballots and voting; violations i6-Absentee ballots & voting; violations is absentee Ballots to Overseas Electors DE 02-i2-Requesting & Delivering Absentee Ballots DE Delivery of Absentee Ballots 3

5 ANN McFALL, SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS ABSENTEE BALLOT DESIGNEE FORM Overview Pursuant to (4)(b)4, F.S., an absentee ballot may be obtained by delivery to a designee on election day or up to 5 days prior to the day of an election. Any elector may designate in writing a person to pick up the ballot for the elector; however, the person designated may not pick up more than two absentee ballots per election, other than the designee's own ballot, except that additional ballots may be picked up for members of the designee's immediate family. For purposes of this section, "immediate family" means the designee's spouse or the parent, child, grandparent, or sibling of the designee or of the designee's spouse. The designee shall provide to the supervisor the written authorization by the elector and a picture identification of the designee and must complete an affidavit. The designee shall state in the affidavit that the designee is authorized by the elector to pick up that ballot and shall indicate if the elector is a member of the designee's immediate family and, if so, the relationship. The department shall prescribe the form of the affidavit. If the supervisor is satisfied that the designee is authorized to pick up the ballot and that the signature of the elector on the written authorization matches the signature of the elector on file, the supervisor shall give the ballot to that designee for delivery to the elector. Instructions This form may be used by the elector to designate a designee to pickup their ballot. The elector may print this form, complete and sign it (very important) and give it to the person designated to pickup his or her absentee ballot. Instruct the designee that they must have a signed, picture identification in order to pickup the ballot. The following form must be signed by the elector and may be hand-delivered to the Department of Elections by the designee. It may also be faxed to the Department of Elections prior to the designee coming to the office. To Be Completed By the Elector I,, designate to pick up an absentee ballot on my behalf for the election to be held on Elector's Date of Birth (required): Elector's Signature (required) : Designee's Relationship to the Elector (select one) D Is not a member of my immediate family D Is a member of my immediate family and is my (select one) DSpouse DChild DChild of Spouse DParent D Parent of Spouse DSibling DSibling of Spouse DGrandparent DGrandparent of Spouse K:\Forms & Publications\ Elect ion Management\Ballots\Absentee\Designator.doc

6 ANN McFALL, SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUEST FORM Office use only Request Taken By: I Date: Voter Registration Number(if known) First Name Phone Number Middle Name Last Name Address VOLUSIA COUNTY RESIDENCE ADDRESS (REQUIRED) Street Address D Date of Birth (Required) Address listed below is a new address, please update. (Only voter may make this change) Apt/Unit/Lot City State Zip Code PERMANENT MAILING ADDRESS (IF DIFFERENT THAN RESIDENCE ADDRESS) Address Apt/Unit/Lot City State Zip Code ALTERNATIVE MAILING ADDRESS INSTRUCTIONS Absentee ballots must be mailed to the mailing address on file, unless the voter is (select one): D D +- Alternative Mailing Address Absent from the county, and will not return before the day of the election. Temporarily unable to occupy the Volusia County residence because of a natural disaster. In a hospital, assisted living facility, nursing home, short-term medical or rehabilitation facility, or correctional facility. Apt/Unit/Lot City State Zip Code BALLOT REQUEST IS FOR (SELECT CHOICE THAT APPLIES) +- All elections for which 1 am eligible to vote through the next two regularly scheduled general elections (2012). D +- Specific Election (current year): REQUEST BY IMMEDIATE FAMILY OR LEGAL GUARDIAN FOR VOTER D +- Requestor's Name I have been instructed by the voter to make this request. Relationship to the voter (Required) If you are requesting an absentee ballot for an immediate family member or are a legal guardian, you must complete this section. Requestor's Complete Address Requestor's Driver's License Number (if available) VOTER'S/REQUESTOR'S SIGNATURE (WRITTEN REQUESTS ONLY) DoE (Revised ) I 125 West New York Avenue, Deland, Fl Area Code for all numbers is (386) W. Volusia N.E. Volusia S.E. Volusia Osteen Area , ext I

7 ANN McFALL, SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS CERTIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY I hereby swear or affirm that I am a person authorized by Section and by association Section , Florida Statutes, to acquire the absentee ballot and early voting information of registered voters of Volusia County, Florida; that the information acquired will be used only for political and no other purposes; and that I will not permit the use or copying of such information by persons not authorized by the Election Laws of the State of Florida. Print Name Signature Address and Telephone Number(s) Please indicate grounds for eligibility: Voter requesting the ballot Canvassing Board member Election Official Political Party or Official thereof Candidate who has filed qualification papers and is opposed in an upcoming election Registered Political Committee Registered Committee of Continuous Existence I authorize the following person(s) to pick up materials on my behalf: Name Address Telephone # Name Address Telephone # Name Address Telephone # Sworn to and subscribed before me, this day of, 20 Signature and Title of Department of Elections Staff

8 ANN McFALL, SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUESTS AND EARLY VOTING TOTALS *INTERNAL USE ONLY* TOTAL COST BALANCE DUE FORM ID AMOUNT PAID DATE PAYMENT TYPE CASH CHECK CHECK # NAME: DATE: ADDRESS: CITY/ZIP: PHONE #: OUTPUT SELECTION (choose one) : Compact Disc Labels Lis t SORT OPTIONS (select only one): Alpha Alpha by Precinct Registration # (Default) Residence Add ress Residence by Precinct Zip Code -- PRECINCT/DISTRICT/CITY/CITY ZONE (specify for Absentee Ballot Requests only): PARTY AFFILIATION/SEX/RACE (specify): ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUESTS ---- Initial Run : ---- Updates: ---- Include those who have voted to to EARLY VOTING TOTALS ---- Initial Run: to ---- Updates: to Specify Location (ci rcle) : ALL Return Completed Order to: Ann McFall, Supervisor of Elections Department of Elections Historic Courthouse 125 West New York Avenue Deland, Fl Phone Numbers: West Volusia Area, NE Volusia A rea, SE Volusia Area, ext 5930 Ostee n Area Fax Numbers: or All orders must be paid for at time of pickup. Make checks payable to County of Volusia.