2018 Official Election Notice and Guide. Tommy Doyle Supervisor of Elections (239)LEE-VOTE ( )

Transcription

1 2018 Official Election Notice and Guide Tommy Doyle Supervisor of Elections (239)LEE-VOTE ( )

2 BE PREPARED FOR THE 2018 ELECTIONS! Familiarize yourself with the candidates and issues If you move, remember to update the address on your voter record Know where your polling place is located before Election Day Bring proper identification to the polls Because of the expected ballot length, the Supervisor of Elections encourages you to vote by mail Our mission is to deliver superior election services to the voters of Lee County. The Honorable Tommy Doyle Supervisor of Elections

3 ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE? To register to vote in the State of Florida, you must: Be a citizen of the United States of America; Be a Florida resident; Be 18 years old (you may pre-register to vote if you are 16 years old, but you cannot vote until you are 18 years old); Not be adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or any other state; Not have been convicted of a felony without your civil rights having been restored; Provide your current and valid Florida driver s license number or Florida identification card number. You must provide the last four digits of your Social Security Number if you do not have a Florida driver s license number or a Florida identification card number. If you do not have any of these items, you must mark the box indicated on the Florida Voter Registration Application as NONE. Important: If you are already registered to vote in the State of Florida, you do not have to register to vote again. If you recently moved to Lee county from another Florida county, you are only required to update your address.

4 2018 ELECTION DATES AND VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINES In order to be eligible to vote in an election, you must be registered to vote before the voter registration books close for an election. The voter registration books close 29 days before an election. Election Date Deadline to Register to Vote August 28, 2018, Primary July 30, 2018 November 6, 2018, General October 9, 2018 Important: If you are already registered to vote in the State of Florida, you do not have to register to vote again in Lee County. You can update your address on our website, call our office, or submit your change of address to the Lee County Supervisor of Elections on the enclosed Florida Voter Registration Application.

5 PRIMARY ELECTIONS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA Florida is a closed primary election state. Political parties use primaries to nominate their party s candidates to run in a General Election. If you want to vote in a partisan primary election, you must be registered to vote with the political party that is holding the primary election before the voter registration books close for an election. If you do not select a party affiliation on your voter registration application, you will be registered without a party affiliation. Voters without a party affiliation may only vote for partisan candidates in a primary election if the candidates running for office all have the same party affiliation and the winner in the primary election will not face any opposition in the General Election. This is referred to as a Universal Primary Contest. When races for nonpartisan offices such as judicial, school board, nonpartisan special districts or referendum questions appear on a primary election ballot, all voters, including those without party affiliation are entitled to vote those races on the ballot. At a general election, all registered voters may vote regardless of party affiliation. The deadline to change your party affiliation for the August 28, 2018 Primary Election is Monday, July 30, 2018.

6 HOW TO REGISTER TO VOTE You can submit an online voter registration application through the Department of the State s website at RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov. This website is secure, convenient and easy to use. To submit an online registration, you will need a Florida driver license or Florida state identification card and must provide the last four digits of your social security number for security purposes. If you do not want to register to vote online, you can complete the enclosed Florida Voter Registration Application. For your convenience, a postage-paid return envelope is provided in this brochure.

7 YOUR VOTER INFORMATION CARD After you register to vote, you will receive a Voter Information Card in the mail. Your Voter Information Card provides you with important information about your polling place location, precinct number, and the districts in which you reside and are allowed to vote. Voter Iden fica on #: Date of Birth: 99/99/9999 VOTER INFORMATION CARD Party: Your Choice JOE VOTER 1234 LOVELY LANE FORT MYERS FL Registra on Date: 99/99/9999 Card Printed: 99/99/9999 YOUR POLLING LOCATION CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP 77 SUNSET DR., FORT MYERS YOUR PRECINCT AND DISTRICTS Precinct 999 County Commission 9 Congressional 9 School Board 9 State Senate 99 Fire District SP 9 State House 99 City FM Tommy Doyle, Supervisor of Elec ons P.O. Box 2545, Fort Myers, FL (239) LEE VOTE ( ) P\ Note: You will be mailed a new Voter Information Card anytime you make a change to your voter record.

8 WAYS TO VOTE Vote-by-Mail Voting by mail is the most convenient way to vote. To request a Vote-by-Mail ballot, visit our website at and submit your request online, or call , or complete and return the enclosed request form in the envelope provided. For your convenience, your Vote-by-Mail ballot includes a postage-paid return envelope. Important: The last day to request a ballot by mail is always the Wednesday before Election Day! At an Early Voting Site Instead of voting at your polling place on Election Day, you can vote at any early voting site before Election Day. There will be ten (10) early voting sites open for the Primary and General Election in At your Polling Place on Election Day You must vote at your designated polling place. It is against the law to vote in a precinct that you do not reside in on Election Day. The polls are open from 7:00 AM until 7:00 PM.

9 VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT REQUEST FORM COMPLETE ONE (1) REQUEST FORM PER VOTER (Additional Form on Back) Select the election(s) for which you would like to receive a ballot. August 28, 2018, Primary Election November 6, 2018, General Election PLEASE PRINT: / / LAST NAME FIRST NAME MIDDLE DATE OF BIRTH DAY TIME TELEPHONE NUMBER (OPTIONAL) VOTER IDENTIFICATION # (OPTIONAL) ADDRESS WHERE BALLOT WILL BE MAILED: ADDRESS / / CITY STATE ZIP CODE VOTER S SIGNATURE: X Important: All information and your signature are required on this form unless otherwise noted as optional.

10 VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT REQUEST FORM COMPLETE ONE (1) REQUEST FORM PER VOTER Select the election(s) for which you would like to receive a ballot. August 28, 2018, Primary Election November 6, 2018, General Election PLEASE PRINT: / / LAST NAME FIRST NAME MIDDLE DATE OF BIRTH DAY TIME TELEPHONE NUMBER (OPTIONAL) VOTER IDENTIFICATION # (OPTIONAL) ADDRESS WHERE BALLOT WILL BE MAILED: ADDRESS / / CITY STATE ZIP CODE VOTER S SIGNATURE: X Important: All information and your signature are required on this form unless otherwise noted as optional.

11 VOTING IN PERSON If you choose to vote at your polling place or an early voting site, you are required to provide approved picture and signature identification. Picture identification must be current. The following forms of picture identification are acceptable: Florida Driver License Florida Identification Card (issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles) United States Passport Debit or Credit Card Military Identification Student Identification Retirement Center Identification Neighborhood Association Identification Public Assistance Identification Veteran Health ID (issued by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs) Florida Concealed Weapon License (issued pursuant to s FS) Government Employee ID If your picture identification does not include your signature, you may provide any form of signature identification. Signature identification does not have to be current. Note: If you do not have the required identification, you may vote a provisional ballot.

12 WHAT IS A PROVISIONAL BALLOT? Whenever a voter s eligibility to vote in an election is uncertain, or the voter does not provide the required identification, the voter is entitled to vote a provisional ballot. If you are voting on Election Day, you must be at your assigned precinct or your provisional ballot may not count. After Election Day, the canvassing board assigned to oversee the election is responsible for determining whether or not the voter was entitled to vote in the election before counting the provisional ballot. If you vote a provisional ballot, you will receive a notice of your rights after depositing your ballot into the Provisional Ballot Box. This notice contains important information and instructions on how you may provide written evidence of your eligibility to vote in the election and how you can check to see if your ballot was counted. Voters must provide written evidence to the Supervisor of Elections no later than 5:00 PM on the second day following the election.

13 EARLY VOTING DATES, TIMES, AND LOCATIONS August 28, 2018, Primary Election Dates: August 18, August 25, 2018 Hours: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM November 6, 2018, General Election Dates: October 22, November 3, 2018 Hours: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM CAPE CORAL BRANCH OFFICE 1039 SE 9TH AVENUE CAPE CORAL, FL CAPE CORAL-LEE COUNTY LIBRARY 921 SW 39TH TERRACE CAPE CORAL, FL NORTHWEST REGIONAL LIBRARY 5019 CHIQUITA BLVD. N CAPE CORAL, FL BONITA SPRINGS BRANCH OFFICE BONITA COMMONS S TAMIAMI TRAIL #105 BONITA SPRINGS, FL VETERANS PARK RECREATION CENTER 55 S HOMESTEAD ROAD LEHIGH ACRES, FL LEE COUNTY ELECTIONS CENTER S CLEVELAND AVENUE FORT MYERS, FL NORTH FORT MYERS RECREATION CENTER 2000 N RECREATION PARK WAY NORTH FORT MYERS, FL FORT MYERS REGIONAL LIBRARY 2450 FIRST STREET FORT MYERS, FL ESTERO RECREATION CENTER 9200 CORKSCREW PALMS BLVD. ESTERO, FL EAST COUNTY REGIONAL LIBRARY 881 GUNNERY ROAD N LEHIGH ACRES, FL 33971

14 ELECTION DAY VOTING Please refer to your Voter Information Card to determine the location of your polling place before Election Day. You are required to vote at your designated polling place. If you cannot locate your Voter Information Card or if the address on your Voter Information Card is not current, please visit our website, call our office, or use the enclosed Florida Voter Registration Application to update your address or request a new card. INFORMATION FOR VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES All polling locations and early voting sites are accessible to voters with disabilities. If you are a voter with a disability and need assistance, please notify the Elections Deputy upon your arrival to your polling place or an early voting site. Voters with disabilities may ask to use a touch-screen ballot marking device to assist with voting. If you would like to use this device, please let an election official know upon checking in to the early voting site or your polling place that you want to use the ExpressVote. The ExpressVote allows voters with disabilities to vote independently using a touchscreen, headset, keypad, rocker paddle, or a sip-n-puff device. The voter must provide his or her sip-n-puff device. If you would like a demonstration on how to use the ExpressVote, please call our Community Education Services Department at

15 BE A POLL WORKER The Lee County Supervisor of Elections is always looking for civic-minded individuals to work on Election Day. Poll workers are paid for their service To be a Poll Worker, you must: Be a registered voter in Lee County Read, write, and speak the English language Have an address Be able to lift lbs. Attend a mandatory training class before the election Have dependable transportation Serve the public in a courteous, patient, and efficient manner. Be nonpartisan on Election Day Be able to work a minimum of 14 hours Abide by a no smoking policy at the polls If you are interested in joining our team, please visit our website for more information and to submit your online application today!

16 OFFICES OF THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS OFFICE HOURS: 8:30 AM-5:00 PM (MONDAY- FRIDAY) Main Office Constitutional Complex 2480 Thompson Street, 3rd Floor Fort Myers, FL Cape Coral Branch Lee County Government Center 1039 SE 9th Avenue Cape Coral, FL Elections Center South Fort Myers Branch S. Cleveland Avenue Fort Myers, FL Bonita Springs Branch Bonita Commons S Tamiami Trail # 105 Bonita Springs, FL Mailing Address P.O. Box 2545, Fort Myers, FL Phone: 239-LEE-VOTE ( ) Fax: Visit our website: PARA SOLICITAR UNA COPIA DE ESTE FOLLETO EN ESPAÑOL, LLAME A NUESTRA OFICINA O PODRÁ DESCARGAR UNA COPIA DE NUESTRO SITIO WEB EN