Skip to main content

Tag: vote-by-mail

Vote by mail requests require annual renewal

Vote-by-mail requests require annual renewal

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – Manatee County voters who plan to vote by mail during the 2024 election cycle need to submit a request that vote-by-mail ballots be sent to them.

According to a press release issued on behalf of the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office, more than 100,000 registered Manatee County voters are receiving official correspondence as part of the election office’s efforts to inform them of an important update they might not be aware of.

Manatee County voters who voted by mail in previous years are receiving notice that they need to make a new request to receive vote-by-mail ballots for the 2024 election cycle. The 2024 election cycle includes the Florida presidential primary election that takes place on March 19, the state primary election that concludes on Aug. 20 and the general election that concludes on Nov. 5, 2024.

Voters who previously provided their email addresses will receive an official email from the Supervisor of Elections Office. Others will receive their notification via regular mail. Voters who haven’t requested vote-by-mail ballots recently or in the past can also request vote-by-mail ballots for the 2024 election cycle.

The vote-by-mail ballot request process requires the voter to provide their name, date of birth and either the last four digits of their social security number or a valid Florida driver’s license or a valid Florida identification card.

The annual vote-by-mail ballot request renewal requirement stems from the Florida Legislature’s adoption of Senate Bill 90 in 2021. The state law created by that legislation limits the duration of requests for vote-by-mail ballots to all elections through the end of the calendar year of the next regularly scheduled general election.

As a result of the state law, Manatee County’s vote-by-mail voters’ rolls were wiped clean after the 2022 general election.

“We went from more than 100,000 voters having a request on record for a mail ballot to zero,” Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett stated in the press release. “This effort is about making people aware that they’ll need to renew their vote by mail request more frequently. Voters should renew their request sooner than later or they could forget and miss their opportunity to receive a mail ballot.”

In the press release, Bennett’s chief of staff, Scott Farrington, noted that during the 2022 general election, 110,260 vote-by-mail ballots were sent to Manatee County voters and 75,310 were returned as ballots cast, accounting for 44% of the county’s total voter turnout. Farrington said 7,848 Manatee County voters have already registered to receive vote-by-mail ballots during the 2024 election cycle.

“The SOE reminds Manatee voters that voting by mail is a safe and convenient way to cast your ballot. It allows voters to avoid potential Election Day obstacles like long lines, bad weather, or work delays. Voting by mail also gives voters more time to consider issues and candidates with their ballot in hand, rather than feeling rushed at the polling place,” the press release notes.

There are no contested city commission races or proposed charter amendments to be decided by Anna Maria Island voters during the 2023 election cycle. The only elections taking place in Manatee County in 2023 are the Bayshore Gardens Park & Recreation District and the Trailer Estates Park & Recreation District elections in December.

Manatee County voters can request their 2024 vote-by-mail ballots online or by calling 941-741-3823 and pressing the number 1 when prompted.

Extra postage required for vote-by-mail ballots

Extra postage required for vote-by-mail ballots

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – The Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office has begun sending out vote-by-mail ballots to those who requested them, and returning a ballot by mail will require additional postage.

For the general election that concludes Tuesday, Nov. 3, the return postage rate is 70 cents to mail a completed vote-by-mail ballot to the Supervisor of Elections Office. The additional postage is required because the general election ballot consists of multiple pages.

According to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections website, returning a completed general election 2020 ballot by mail requires two Forever stamps or 70 cents worth of postage.

“If returning your vote-by-mail ballot by mail, the U.S. Postal Service suggests returning your ballot no later than one week prior to election day. The return postage is $.70.,” according to the Supervisor of Elections website.

Extra postage required for vote-by-mail ballots
Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett examines 124 vote-by-mail ballots postmarked the same day as the Aug. 18 primary election. – Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office | Submitted

A single 55-cent Forever stamp will not provide adequate postage and the front side of the return envelope notes, “Post Office will not deliver without proper postage.”

You must also sign the back of the return envelope before sending it to the Supervisor of Elections Office.

Mail ballots can currently be delivered in person, without postage, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to the elections drop box at the Supervisor of Elections Office at 600 301 Blvd. W., Suite 108, in Bradenton.

From Monday, Oct. 19 through Sunday, Nov. 1, vote-by-mail ballots can be delivered in person, without postage, to any of the early voting locations in Manatee County from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Those locations are:

  • The Florida DOT administration office at 14000 S.R. 64 E. in Bradenton;
  • The Manatee County utilities administration office at 4410 66th St. W. in Bradenton;
  • Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, 8175 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. in Lakewood Ranch;
  • The Palmetto Library, 923 Sixth St. W. in Palmetto;
  • The Rocky Bluff Library, 6750 U.S. Hwy. 301 N. in Ellenton.

Late arriving ballots

On Aug. 21, the Supervisor of Elections Office distributed an email containing a message from Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett regarding vote-by-mail ballots returned too late to be counted for the primary election that concluded Tuesday, Aug. 18.

“With all the talk about the post office and vote-by-mail ballots arriving late or not at all, Michael Bennett, Manatee County Supervisor of Elections, wants to make sure everyone is aware of the voter’s responsibility,” the elections office email said.

Extra postage required for vote-by-mail ballots
Voters must sign the rear of the envelope before returning it to the Supervisor of Elections Office. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

“It’s not the post office that made these ballots late, the voter waited until Election Day to mail their ballot,” Bennett said in the email.

“Some voters may be under the impression that it is the postmark date that enables their vote to be counted. Supervisor Bennett wants everyone to know, that’s not true. Per Florida Statute, ballots are accepted at the secure ballot drop box located outside of my office up to 7 p.m. on Election Day, not postmarked Election Day,” the email said.

The email noted more than 300 vote-by-mail ballots had arrived late as of Aug. 21 and 124 of those were postmarked Aug. 18.

“None of them are eligible to be counted. Voters whose ballots were received after Election Day that were postmarked the 18th – or even within a few days of that date – cannot blame the delay on the post office. It’s very disappointing that voters did not mail their ballots in time to be counted. So please, don’t blame the post office,” Bennett said in the Aug. 21 email.

According to Chief Deputy Sharon Stief, Saturday, Oct. 24 is the deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot to be mailed to you. Monday, Oct. 5 is the deadline to register to vote in this year’s general election.

More information is available at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections website.