MYTH: Vote by mail ballots postmarked by election day will be counted.
FACT: In order for a vote by mail ballot to be counted, it MUST be at the Elections Office by 7 p.m. on election day. If it is late, it will not count.
Some of you may remember the Aug. 30, 2016 Primary Election in which a county commission race was very close — decided by seven votes.
What you may not know — vote by mail voters please pay close attention — the day following the election, 74 vote by mail ballots came in the mail and could not be counted because they were late. These late ballots were mailed on Monday or Tuesday. The law is very specific; in order to be counted, a vote by mail ballot MUST be in the Elections Office by 7 p.m. on election day. Ballots received after 7 p.m. are late and will not be counted.
First class mail takes three to five business days. Do not mail your ballots past Thursday before an election; they will not reach us in time to be counted. There are red vote by mail drop boxes in all public libraries, tax offices in Ponte Vedra and Julington Creek and St. Augustine Beach City Hall. Look for the red box inside each of these locations. Voted ballots can also be dropped off at early voting locations, and there is a 24-hour drop box in front of the Elections Office for your convenience.
Remember you can always vote in person during early voting or go to the polls on election day to cast your vote in person.
Would these vote by mail ballots have made a difference in this race? We will never know. What we can learn from this is as we now look ahead, if you vote by mail, please, return your ballot in time to be counted. The deadline for the Primary Election is Aug. 28 at 7 p.m.
Early voting will be conducted for eight days: Aug.18-25 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at six locations throughout the county. This includes Sunday, Aug. 19. There will be ample time for all voters to cast a ballot in the upcoming election.
If you have questions or need assistance, please visit votesjc.com. My staff and I stand ready to assist you.
