What to know about voting in wake of Florida’s new election laws
Here is what you need to know to successfully cast a ballot for the Nov. 8 election under the new voting rules approved by the Florida Legislature last year.
Q: What are the new rules for drop boxes this year?
A: One of the biggest changes is to drop boxes, at which voters can deposit mail-in ballots at elections offices and early voting sites, many of which were available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and monitored on video
The boxes were vilified in 2020 by former President Trump, who falsely claimed they were being used for fraud not in Florida but elsewhere around the country. So Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature sharply curbed their use.
The law renamed the boxes to “secure ballot intake stations.” The stations at early voting sites will only be available during early voting hours. The stations, now tables instead of boxes, will be staffed by an employee at all times.
Seminole, Orange and Osceola also have them available at their elections offices and early voting sites during early voting hours.
Q: Can anyone campaign for a candidate outside or inside a polling place? Can they give water to people in line?
A: This was the most controversial proposal in the 2021 bill, which would have echoed Georgia and banned giving water or food to voters in line within 150 feet of a polling place.
But the provision was stripped from the Florida law, so there’s no specific ban against people giving food and water to people in line.
The ban on soliciting votes within 150 feet of a polling place still stands, however, and it prohibits “engaging in any activity with the intent to influence or effect of influencing a voter.”
Q: I signed up to vote by mail, but I would rather vote in person instead. What should I do?
Voters can bring their mail-in ballot to an early-voting location or their polling precinct on Election Day, surrender it and get a fresh ballot to use at the polling place.
Even if they don’t have it with them, they can still get their mail-in ballot canceled and vote in person.
Q: How can I make sure my vote was
counted? Can I track my ballot?
A: Yes. After mailing back or dropping off mail-in ballots, voters can go online to their county elections office website and learn if their ballot was both received and accepted.
Q. Why do different counties have different early voting dates and times?
Florida law sets a specific window for early voting, starting on the 10th day before a state or federal election and ending on the third day before.
But supervisors have the discretion to add even more early voting days, beginning as early as the 15th day before an election and as late as two days before.
Q: How do I fix a mail-in ballot that gets
rejected because my signature didn’t match what officials had on file? Or because I forgot to sign the envelope?
A: First, it’s best if their registration on file includes more than one way for the elections office to contact them if their ballot has been rejected. That can include a phone number and email in addition to an address.
If notified by mail or email, the office will include a copy of the affidavit voters have to print and fill out. If notified by phone, voters can also go online to their county elections office website to find the affidavit.
Q: What do I need to do to fill out and return the affidavit and make my rejected ballot count?
After filling out the affidavit, which will
include an updated version of a voters’ signature if that was the issue, they would also have to make a copy of a photo ID.
That could include a Florida driver’s license, a military, student, retirement center, neighborhood association, public assistance ID, or veteran health ID card, among others.
Voters should take the completed affidavit and the photo ID copy to their county elections office. They have until 5 p.m. on the Thursday after Election Day to drop it off.
This story was adapted from an article that ran before the primary this year. Complete election coverage can be found at OrlandoSentinel.com/election