​I hope this finds you well.  As we press on through the COVID-19 pandemic and sail into the peak months of the 2020 hurricane season, we have learned the importance of preparation.  That is no less important as we approach this year’s general election on November 3, 2020.     

You may have concerns about going out into public places, even to vote.  Everyone has different health vulnerabilities.  Nevertheless, voting is a privilege that none of us takes for granted and all should exercise.  Fortunately, you do have options.   

Vote-by-mail is synonymous with absentee voting, and refers to voting a ballot received by mail or picked up by or for a voter instead of going to the polls to vote.  You can request your vote-by-mail ballot for a specific election or for all elections through the next two general elections by contacting the Supervisor of Elections (SOE) by phone (561) 656-6208, fax (561) 656-6230, by email at votebymail@pbcelections.org, or in person at the SOE’s main office or North County branch at 3188 PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens.  Elections staff will confirm the address you have on file with their office and what information you must provide to request the vote-by-mail ballot for you or someone else.   

The vote-by-mail option allows you to complete your ballot privately in a relaxed setting, utilizing the candidate information you may have acquired to make your decisions.  If a particular contest appears on your ballot that you may not have anticipated, it allows you time to investigate that office and the qualified candidates in order to make a decision on who you think would best serve that post.   

The deadline to request that the SOE mail a vote-by-mail ballot to you is 5:00 p.m. on the 10th day before the November 3, 2020 election, which would be October 24, 2020.  You can pick up a vote-by-mail ballot at any time it becomes available, right up to and including Election Day.  A designated person can pick up your ballot for you nine days before Election Day and that person must submit written authorization or an affidavit and produce a photo ID.     

One way to track the arrival of your vote-by-mail ballot once you have requested it is to sign up for Informed Delivery through the United States Postal Service.  Through this process, you will receive emails with images of your mail for the day.   

Once you receive your vote-by-mail ballot, carefully follow the detailed instructions provided.  Make sure to include your signature or legal mark on the Voter’s Certificate Envelope, because failure to do so may cause your ballot not to count.  If you make a mistake on the ballot, let the SOE office know immediately, so that they can send you a replacement ballot.  Just like voting in person, voters can receive up to two replacement ballots prior to casting your ballot.   

If you eventually decide to vote in person at the polls, just be sure to bring your vote-by-mail ballot with you so that the polling clerk can cancel it.  If you forget to bring it with you, you will have to wait until SOE staff can verify that you did not already cast your ballot.  If they cannot verify that you have not already submitted your vote-by-mail ballot, you may complete a provisional ballot.   

When planning to mail your ballot back to the Elections office, make sure you sign the envelope and allow at least one week for it to reach the SOE office.  The postage is already paid, so do not delay.  You can also drop it off in person at any of the SOE offices during office hours or at early voting sites.  For your ballot to count, the SOE must receive it by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.  Please note that the satellite offices close at 5:00 p.m. on Election Day and only the main SOE office in West Palm Beach is open until 7:00 p.m.  If your ballot envelope is unsigned, or there is a discrepancy with your signature, you will be asked to complete and return a signature affidavit (DS-DE 139) with a copy of your current and valid ID no later than 5:00 p.m. on the second day after the election.   

For complete information about the vote-by-mail process, candidate data, records, and other helpful links, visit www.pbcelections.org.  Once on the site, you can even track the status of your vote-by-mail ballot.   

The Supervisor of Elections has worked closely with the County Commission to update their equipment and systems to provide a safe, transparent and efficient voting process.  With three options to meet your needs: early voting, vote-by-mail and Election Day in-person voting, you can be sure your vote counts.   

As always, if there is any way I can assist you, please contact me at (561) 355-2201 or by email at hvaleche@pbcgov.org. Remember, stay safe and be prepared.