Parties Chasing Vote by Mail Ballots
October 31st, 2018 by Mike Vasilinda
This year, Florida sent our just under 3.5 million mail ballots.
As of Wednesday morning, 1.5 million haven’t been cast yet.
Both parties are working overtime to get those ballots filled out and returned.
First, mail encouraging people to ask for a vote by mail ballot went out from both parties shortly after the primary.
It worked and 3,448,000 ballots were requested.
As of Wednesday morning, 44% or just over 1.5 million hadn’t been returned yet.
“When you look at the return rate so far, it’s very low,” said Skyler Zander with Americans for Prosperity. “I mean, there’s a lot of people that can still get out there and still have their mail ballots turned in.”
Under state law, candidates but not the general public, get a list everyday of people who have requested a mail ballot.
They also get a list of those who haven’t returned it.
Those that haven’t voted are getting reminders, and as the election day deadline to return the ballots gets closer, both parties are ramping up their efforts.
“Because you get that list, you’re able to send out robo calls to ask them to turn in their ballots,” said Leon County GOP Chair Evan Power. “You send email to get them to turn in their ballots. And in the las t case, the last couple days, you send walkers out to go grab the ballots for them or help them get their ballots turned in.”
How important are they?
“You know Florida is always a razor thin state that is very diverse in many different ways and shapes. So every vote counts. Every ballot matters,” said Zander.
Overseas military ballots have a ten day grace period, which means in a really really tight race, it could delay knowing who wins.
Currently most of Arizona, Hawaii, territories and various Native American nations are exempt from Daylight Savings.
As of five o’clock Wednesday afternoon, the window for requesting a mail ballot be sent to you has closed.
Ballots can still be picked up in supervisors offices.
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