Election chief’s advice for Manatee voters: Send ballots back now and include postage
Mailing a ballot back to the Supervisor of Election’s Office comes with a small cost.
According to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office, sending a ballot back via the United States Post Office will cost 70 cents, or two USPS First Class Forever Stamps.
But there are free options, as well. Voters can return their ballots to a secure drop box at the Supervisor of Elections Office, 600 301 Blvd., Bradenton, at any time. Vote-by-mail ballots can also be returned to early voting sites once they open on Oct. 19.
Supervisor of Elections Michael Bennett urged voters to start sending back their ballots as soon as possible to avoid any potential issues with delivery, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic has led to record vote-by-mail numbers.
“There’s nothing on that ballot that’s going to change,” he said. “It’s final.”
The issue of missing postage could cause problems, too. If a voter does not include the correct amount of postage on their envelope, it will still be delivered by the post office and Bennett’s office will pay the fee — but that process involves a slower delivery.
“That mail doesn’t get delivered as fast as regular mail. We’re not comfortable it’s going to get here on time,” Bennett explained.
Early voting runs from Oct. 19 to Nov. 1 at these five locations:
- Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, 8175 Lakewood Ranch, Lakewood Ranch
- Palmetto Library, 923 Sixth St W., Palmetto
- Rocky Bluff Library, 6750 U.S. 301 N., Ellenton
- Florida Department of Transporation Administration Office, 14000 SR 64 E., Bradenton
- Manatee County Utilities Administration Office, 4410 66th St W., Bradenton
There’s still time to request a vote-by-mail ballot. The deadline to request one is 5 p.m. on Oct. 24. However, vote-by-mail ballots are not counted unless they are in the possession of the Supervisor of Elections Office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3.
This story was originally published September 28, 2020 at 11:55 AM.
