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Welcome to VoxPopuli's Guide to Oakland's March 10 Election for Seat 4 on the Town Commission. Six amendments to the town charter are also on the ballot.
Voting by mail makes casting a ballot in the March 10 election very convenient. But first, you need to REQUEST YOUR MAIL-IN BALLOT by 5 p.m., FEB. 26.
Since all vote-by-mail requests expire after each federal election cycle, you will need to request another one, even if you had a vote-by-mail ballot for the 2024 elections. (If you voted by mail in any of last year's special elections, your request should still be on file.) To request your ballot, call the Orange County Supervisor of Elections office at 407-836-VOTE (8683), visit the site, or download and complete the Vote-By Mail Written Request Form (DS-DE 160) and either mail it back or drop it off at the OCSE office.
If you have a protected address or a disability that prevents you from using a regular ballot or you need a replacement vote by mail ballot, contact the Supervisor of Elections office.
Once you make your request, your ballot will arrive in the mail. You can also pick up a mail-in ballot yourself or you can designate someone to pick it up for you. Find designee pick-up forms and affidavits at OCSE.
Once you complete your ballot, return it to the Supervisor of Elections Office at 119 Kaley Street in Orlando. Your ballot needs to be at the Supervisor of Elections Office by 7 p.m. on MARCH 10 for it to be counted. Remember to sign the envelop.
Then, sign up for BallotTrax to receive email or text updates about the status of your ballot from printing to mail-out to acceptance.
Signatures can change because of age, injury, arthritis. It’s easy to update your signature with a new voter registration application. Mismatched signatures are one of the main reasons that mail-in ballots don't get counted. Update yours here to ensure your vote counts. Mail-in ballots with missing signatures on the outside envelop also won’t don’t get counted. Fortunately, voters have two days after the election to “cure” their ballots with this affidavit.
Early voting for the March 10 Election will take place March 2-8, daily, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at these locations:
Apopka Community Center
519 S. Central Ave, Apopka
Supervisor of Elections Office
119 W. Kaley St., Orlando
You’ll need ID with a photo and signature. Accepted forms include: valid Florida driver’s license, U.S. passport, debit/credit card, student or military ID, public assistance ID, Florida firearms license. (If your ID only has a photo, bring a second one with an updated signature.) Early voting locations will have Spanish translators and ADA-compliant voting equipment for those who need it. For more information, visit the Orange County Supervisor of Elections website.
Completed mail-in ballots can be dropped off at an early voting site or the Supervisor of Elections Office at 119 Kaley Street in Orlando. On Election Day, March 10, mail ballots can ONLY be dropped off at the Supervisor of Elections Office and must arrive by 7 p.m. You can designate someone to drop your mail-in ballot off for you. To avoid the appearance of “ballot harvesting,” designees are limited to two ballots with just one for a non-family member.
Returning citizens who have completed their sentences and paid all fines and fees or completed community service in lieu of payment can get their voting rights restored (except for those convicted of murder or felony sex offenses).
That said, voting eligibility can still be challenging to figure out as those who believed they were eligible to vote in the 2020 election only to be arrested by Gov. Ron DeSantis’s election police discovered. The Formerly Incarcerated Convicted People & Families Movement’s “Can I Vote?” tool may help returning citizens determine if they can vote in March 10 election.
