You still have time to get a mail ballot in Manatee County. Here’s what you have to do

Just because you are already seeing on your social media feeds people dropping off their mail ballots at the Manatee County elections office, doesn’t mean you don’t still have time to request a ballot for the Nov. 3 election.

Everyone in Florida who is a registered voter is entitled to vote by mail. Already, more than 110,000 mail ballots have been sent to voters in Manatee County.

Local voters must first request that ballot by going to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office’s website at votemanatee.com and fill out an online application, email a request, call the elections office or visit in person.

All requests must be completed no later than 10 days before Election Day. Requests must contain the following information:

• Name of voter for whom the ballot is requested.
• Voter’s address.
• Voter’s date of birth.
• The name of who is requesting the ballot, with address, and driver’s license number if available.
• The requester’s relationship to the voter and requester’s signature, if the request is in writing.

After you receive and fill out your ballot, you can drop it off at the elections office, 600 301 Blvd., across from DeSoto Square mall or from Oct. 19 through Nov. 1 at one of six early in-person voting locations.

Just because you request a mail-in ballot, doesn’t mean you have to use it. If for some reason you change your mind and want to vote in person, or if you are concerned you may be mailing it in too late, you can bring the mail-in ballot to a polling station. The ballot will be canceled in the system and you will be allowed to vote in person.

If for some reason, you don’t have your mail-in ballot when you go in person, poll workers can verify if your mail-in ballot has been received and already counted and you will be allowed to vote. If your mail-in ballot has been received and counted, you will not be allowed to vote.

Veterans and residents currently overseas are allowed to receive a mail-in ballot via email, if they have not already applied for an absentee ballot, and should contact the elections office to verify qualifications. Those residents may also request a mail-in ballot using the Federal Post Card Application system at fvap.gov.

To ask questions, call the Manatee County elections office at 941-741-3823.

This story was originally published September 28, 2020 at 10:57 AM.