OCALA, FL (352today.com) – If you have requested a mail-in ballot for the upcoming election year, chances are it will be arriving in your mailbox this week.

The ballots will arrive in white envelopes and will have pink stripes on them.

If you want to request a ballot and have not yet done so, you have until 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 8, to do it.

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There are various different ways that mail-in ballots can be requested:

Online

One way to request your mail-in ballot is online. To do that, go to the Supervisor of Elections website for your county. At 352today we’re your community connection, so we’ve made it easy for you and have posted a link to the websites for all 9 counties within our coverage area below:

Phone

You can also request your mail-in ballot by calling your county’s Supervisor of Elections office. Here are those phone numbers:

  • Marion County – (352) 620-3290
  • Alachua County – (352) 374-5252
  • Sumter County – (352) 569-1540
  • Lake County – (352) 343-9734
  • Levy County – (352) 486-5163
  • Citrus County – (352) 564-7120
  • Dixie County – (352) 498-1216
  • Gilchrist County – (352) 463-3194
  • Hernando County- (352) 754-4125

Mail

You can also mail in your request to your local Supervisor of Elections office. Here are the addresses:

  • Marion County – PO Box 289. Ocala, FL 34478-0289
  • Alachua County – 515 N. Main St., Suite #300, Gainesville, FL 32601
  • Sumter County – 7375 Powell Road, Suite #125 Wildwood, FL 34785
  • Lake County – PO Box 457 Tavares, FL 32778
  • Levy County – 421 S. Court Street, Bronson, FL 32621
  • Citrus County – PO Box 1870 Lecanto, FL  34460-1870
  • Dixie County – PO Box 2057, Cross City, FL 32628
  • Gilchrist County – 112 South Main Street, Room 137 Trenton, FL 32693
  • Hernando County – 16264 Spring Hill Drive, Brooksville, FL 34604

Email

Lastly, voters can also submit their request for a mail-in ballot via email.

You can also do it by fax but since we think very few people would actually do it that way, we’re not including that info as part of our story.

A quick reminder to voters that Florida is a closed primary state, meaning only voters registered with a political party can vote for that party’s candidates in partisan races.

Voters who are not registered with a political party are still eligible to vote on issues and nonpartisan races.

If you want to change your party affiliation or want to register to vote, you must do so by Monday, July 22, to be eligible for this year’s Florida prrimary.

The Supervisor of Elections office must receive all vote-by-mail ballots by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, August 20.

It is strongly recommended to send in your ballots well before the August 7 deadline to give ample time for the Supervisor of Elections to receive them.

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Voters are also encouraged to verify that their voter information is up to date and that you sign ballot before you return it.

When completing and mailing your vote-by-mail ballot, you are encouraged to follow the following instructions:
  • Completely fill in the oval next to your choice on your ballot — do not circle or mark an “X” over the oval.
  • If you make a mistake on your ballot, call your Supervisor of Elections Office.
  • Be sure to sign your vote-by-mail ballot certificate envelope.
  • Return your vote-by-mail ballot in the official envelope provided. Return postage is prepaid.

Any voter who does not sign their vote-by-mail ballot or whose signature on the vote-by-mail ballot certificate does not match the signature in their voter record will be contacted by the Supervisor of Elections Office and provided the opportunity to correct the ballot.

Voters have until 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 22, to complete an affidavit to correct a vote-by-mail ballot that does not have a signature or has a signature that does not match to the voter’s signature on file.