If you’re one of the thousands of Clay County voters who vote by mail, you’ll need to request a new ballot for 2024 and every election cycle moving forward.
This is because of a Florida 2021 law that shortens the duration of Vote By Mail ballot requests from four years to two. All mail-in ballot requests from previous years will expire at the end of 2023, affecting over 30,000 voters in Clay.
“In the last presidential election year, we had about 34,500 people Vote by Mail. Right now, we have a fraction of that number who have re-requested,” Clay County’s Supervisor of Elections, Chris Chambless, wrote in a newsletter.
Voters wishing to use Vote By Mail ballots for the 2024 Presidential Preference Primary must submit a new request to the Clay County Supervisor of Elections at least 10 days before the election. Every two years, voters will need to make a new request for a mail-in ballot if they wish to use one.
In the past, checking a box on the Vote By Mail ballot was all voters needed to do to request future mail-in ballots. The new law no longer allows voters to request ballots that way.
To sign up for a Vote By Mail ballot, registered voters in Clay can use a portal by visiting the Clay County Supervisor of Elections website by clicking here. Other ways to request the ballot are by calling (904) 269-6350 or sending a letter or email. Voters with protected information cannot use the online portal.
Upcoming election dates for 2024 are:
- Presidential Preference Primary Election: March 19
- Primary Election: August 20
- General Election: November 5
Even if you receive a mail-in ballot, you can still vote in person as long as you don’t send your vote by mail. The Florida Supervisors of Elections recommends bringing your Vote By Mail ballot with you to the polls if you decide to vote in person so that it is easier to confirm you have not already voted.
If you’re eligible to vote but haven’t registered, you can visit RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov to sign up. Registered voters can use the website to update their voter information. You can also register to vote at the Supervisor of Elections Office, public libraries, driver's license offices and armed forces recruitment offices.
To learn more about Vote By Mail ballots, find voter guides and information about upcoming elections and candidates for Clay County, click here.
Comments / 8