By LOIS KINDLE
Under Florida law, all registered voters are permitted to vote by mail instead of having to vote in person during early voting or on Election Day. But a law passed by the Florida legislature in 2021 now requires that vote-by-mail requests be made more often.
A voter must have a request on file to receive a vote-by-mail ballot. In the past, you could request mail ballots through the next two general elections; however, that’s no longer the case.
Under the new law, Vote by Mail requests now cover all elections through the end of the calendar year of the next scheduled general election. This means existing vote-by-mail requests on file through the end of 2022 must now be renewed.
“The biggest change is every mail-in ballot on file must be renewed each election cycle and is valid for all elections through the end of the calendar year,” said Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer. “Voters must provide their Florida driver license number, Florida identification card number or the last four digits of their social security number when making their request.”
There are a number of ways to ensure you get your mail-in ballot in time for the 2024 Presidential Primary Election on Aug. 20 and the 2024 General Election on Nov. 5.
You can request a mail-in ballot online at https://www.votehillsborough.gov/VOTERS/Vote-By-Mail and follow the step-by-step instructions, print and return a mail-in ballot request form found on the same site or call 813-612-4180 to request one over the phone.
If you live or work in South Shore, you can go in-person to the SouthShore Regional Service Center, 410 30th St. SE, Ruskin, or the Southeast Regional Office, 10020 U.S. 301 S, Riverview.
You also have the option of sending a written request by email to voter@votehillsborough.gov or via U.S. mail to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections, 2514 N. Falkenburg Road, Tampa, FL 33619. These requests must include your signature.
The deadline for submitting a request for a ballot to be mailed to you is 5 p.m. on the 12th day before any election. But why wait?
HILLSBORUGH COUNTY SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS PHOTO
Mail-in ballot requests on file must now be renewed after every general election cycle and are valid for all elections through the end of that calendar year.
Now’s a good time to request your 2024 mail-in ballots for the Aug. 20 Primary Election and the Nov. 5 General Election to avoid missing a deadline or forgetting to make your request altogether.
It’s important to note you also need to keep your voter registration information up to date, including your name, current home address, mailing address and party affiliation. Your residential address determines which issues and candidates appear on your ballot. And if you use a different mailing address, be sure to include it.
You can check your voter registration status at https://www.votehillsborough.gov/VOTERS/My-Registration-Status or by calling 813-612-4180.
Remember, Vote By Mail requests expire after every general election cycle. For additional user-friendly information, visit www.votehillsborough.gov/.
