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Voter Registration Information Who may register to vote? To become a registered elector, a person must be a U.S. citizen, must be a Florida resident, must be a resident of the county where he/she registers, must be 18 years of age on or before election day (must be at least 17 years of age when pre-registration occurs); and if previously convicted of a felony or adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting by any court, must have had the right to vote restored by appropriate authority -- the Florida Office of Executive Clemency or the appropriate court.
What is a legal residency? There are different legal definitions for residency in different parts of the law. For voter registration purposes, legal residency must meet a two-part test. The individual must intend the county to be his legal residence plus the individual must have physical presence. The courts have held legal residence is a place of abode and is evidenced by where a person sleeps, eats, where his or her spouse and children live, where one is a licensed driver as opposed to a place where one works or conducts commerce. An individual may have more than one house or apartment but may have only one legal residence for voter registration purposes. Individuals who own more than one dwelling should be registered in the county where they claim homestead exception.
Why register? To participate in the selection of officials to represent and run your government or to express your opinion on a specific ballot issue, you must be a registered voter. Only individuals who meet the eligibility requirements and are registered before the election's book closing may vote. People are frequently heard to comment that their vote won't make a difference. History is littered with examples where one vote made a significance difference. Perhaps the most notable example involved King Charles I of England who literally lost his head by a single vote in 1649. The vote was 68 to behead him and 67 against.
When may one register? Individuals who meet eligibility requirements may register at any time. to participate in an election, however, the individual must be registered by the book closing deadline which is always 30 days before the election date. Since the 30th day before the election is a Sunday, the books close the next succeeding work day -- i.e., on Monday the 29th day before the election unless that Monday is a legal holiday such as labor day.
Where may one register? An individual seeking to register may do so with the Supervisor of Elections in the county where he/she resides. With the exception of legal holidays, all Elections Offices are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. The Supervisor of Elections Office for Collier County is located at the Collier Government Center at 3301 Tamiami Trail East in Naples, Florida. Voter applications are also available at Naples City Hall, Everglades City Hall, Marco Island City Hall, and the Immokalee Tax Office. The Supervisor of Elections, in conjunction with various civic groups, conducts special registration drives throughout the year. One may register at any Florida Driver's License Office when making initial application or renewing his/her license. Voter registration applications are also available at the county's public libraries. Eligible persons may register when applying at public service offices for Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Health & Rehabilitative Services, the Women, Infants, Children nutrition program, any state agency providing service to disabled residents, and armed forces recruiting offices. Individuals preferring to register by mail may call the Elections Office – (239) 252-8450 -- and request an application be sent or download one from this site.
How to register and/or update your voter record? The voter application is uniform throughout Florida. Each application provides the addresses for each Supervisor of Elections Office. Eligible individuals may obtain an application from any participating agency and mail it to the appropriate county of his/her residence. The following data provided by electors is exempt from Florida's public records law and may be used only by the Election Office unless otherwise ordered by a court: The application's point of origin (by mail, driver's license, etc.); any phone number; social security number; and applicant's signature. Providing your social security number assists the Elections Office with absentee ballot requests since several voters may have the same name. There are certain other limited instances when a voter's residence address may also be exempt from Florida's public records law. The signed application can also be
used to update an existing voter's record. Updates are a change of name,
residence, one's mailing address, a signature change, or a change of party
affiliation. The preferred method of reporting an update is to note the
corrections on the reverse side of your Voter's Identification Card and return
it to the Elections Office. Florida is a closed primary state. A voter's political party preference -- or his lack of a political party preference -- must be provided at the time of registration. An elector may change his party affiliation at any time subject to the following:
Additional information on the significance of a "closed Primary" is entitled "Voter Registration and the Significance of Party Affiliation."
Deadlines and Demographics: the voter registration books close 29 days before each election. If the 29th day falls on Sunday, the book closing falls on the next succeeding work day. Persons not registered before that date are unable to participate in the election. Book closing counts are sent to the state about 15 days before Election Day.
How are voter registration applications and updates acknowledged? Voter identification cards are mailed to each person submitting a complete application. The ID cards are red, white, and blue postcards. Each Voter ID contains pertinent information relative to the voter's residence -- the precinct, poll site, commission, school board, house, senate, congressional, fire, and municipal districts. Once received, the voter should check the ID for accuracy -- name, residence, and mailing address (if different from residence). If correct, the voter should sign the ID card. ID cards should be signed before going to the polls. If there is an error in your name or residence address, note the correction on the reverse side of the ID card and return it to the Elections Office for correction. New ID cards are generally mailed within 14 days to voters reporting a change of name, residence address, or mailing address, provided the residence address is a valid county address. New ID cards are automatically sent to affected active voters when election districts, precinct boundaries, or poll sites change. Except after book closings, new voters are mailed ID cards within 14 days. Voters reporting a party change are mailed ID cards within 14 days -- except that no such cards are sent from the point of book closing until the books open again for party changes. For those who find themselves in possession of multiple copies of the voter ID card, the elections Office now also includes a date printed in the white space immediately above the blue portion of the post card on the right side. In the case of incomplete applications, the individual is sent a notice plus another application. The notice indicates the omitted information and provides for submitting a properly completed application. The registration date is the date on which all required data has been received. Information must be under oath, in writing, and signed by the applicant before the Elections Office can process it. Applications with out-of-county
residence addresses are forwarded to the appropriate county. A notice of
referral (disposition) is sent to the applicant. Voters who have moved within the county since the last election should report this to the Elections Office before going to vote. Electors are to provide written notice of an address correction (§97.1031(1)). Precinct registers are used at the polls for voter identification and for recording the voter's signature, under oath, for both identification and veracity of information provided to election workers. Precinct registers are prepared 2-3 days before an election. Address updates should be reported before that time to avoid problems at the polls and to enable the Elections Office to issue an updated voter identification card, which reflects the changes. Voter's failing to advise the Elections Office of an address change may find the poll site and election districts have changed and may be referred to a different poll site before being permitted to vote. Voters who moved out of the county 29 or more days before the election date are required to register and vote in the county of his/her new residence. They also would not be able to vote by absentee if the move met the 29 day requirement. Elections Office notices are sent by first class mail. A "Final Address Confirmation Notice" is sent by forwardable mail when any elections Office notice, sample ballot, ID card or first class letter is returned as undeliverable by the Post Office. The voter has 30 days from the notice date to respond in writing. Failure to respond means a transfer to inactive status. Inactive status cancels all future mailings of election notices, sample ballots, or absentee ballots, which might have been requested previously. Permanent removal occurs when inactive voters do not provide written response to the Election Office notice and do not vote over the next two federal general elections (four years). |
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