“Given the fact that we must have ballots in our possession by 7 o’clock on Tuesday, it is best for voters to drop off their ballot at one of our early voting locations or bring it to our office,” Christopher Heath, public information officer for the Supervisor of Elections Office, confirmed to Orlando Weekly in an email. “Putting the ballot in the mail today may not get it to us in time.”
U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy similarly warned in September that voters should plan to mail their vote-by-mail ballot off at least one week ahead of Election Day, which is coming up next Tuesday, Nov. 5.
For your vote to count, the Supervisor of Elections Office must receive your signed vote-by-mail ballot no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks do not count.
According to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office, the county had 176,511 standing requests for vote-by-mail ballots for the 2024 General Election. As of publication, just over 127,200 vote-by-mail ballots in Orange County have been received and counted by the Supervisor of Elections Office. That means there are nearly 50,000 mail ballots that have not yet been returned or otherwise counted. With in-person early voting included, voter turnout in Orange County is currently resting at roughly 43 percent.
If you haven’t voted, signed and dropped off your vote-by-mail ballot, however, don’t panic. You have options. Here’s what you can do:
Drop it off at an early voting site
The first, and possibly most convenient option for working adults: If you have a vote-by-mail ballot in Orange County, you can drop it off at any of the county’s early voting locations while they remain open.
Early voting locations are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Early voting ends at 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3.
Drop it off at the Supervisor of Elections Office
If you miss the early-voting period, you can also drop it off at the Supervisor of Elections Office, located at 119 W. Kaley St. in Orlando, through Election Day.
The Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office will be open and able to accept vote-by-mail ballots from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
On Monday, the office will be open and able to accept vote-by-mail ballots during normal business hours, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On Tuesday, Election Day, the office will be able to accept ballots from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Exchange it for an in-person ballot on Election Day
Your last option, if the other two aren’t feasible, is to go to your assigned polling location on Election Day and ask to switch it out for an in-person ballot. To do so, you’ll need to have an accepted form of identification such as a Florida driver’s license, student ID, military ID or U.S. passport.
Polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Note: If you choose this option, you cannot just go to any voting location in Orange County on Election Day. You must go to your assigned polling location. That polling location is noted on your voter registration card. If you misplaced your card, you can also check your assigned polling place online through the Supervisor of Elections website, or you can call, email or visit the office to ask.
How do I know if my vote has been counted?
Orange County voters can sign up for BallotTrax to receive notifications by text or email of the status of your vote-by-mail ballot, from when it is printed to when it’s accepted by the office.
You can also check whether your vote has been counted by checking the status of your vote-by-mail ballot here. All you need to do so is your full name and date of birth.
Related
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This article appears in Oct 30 – Nov 5, 2024.
