Vote Safely! Early voting begins on Oct 19th in Florida. This maybe one of the most important elections of our lifetime. Spreading out voters throughout early voting can help to reduce lines and reduce risk of any Covid exposure. I personally will be voting in person and surrendering my mail-in ballot. By following proper precautions, the risk of in person voting can be reduced significantly and should not be any higher than going to a store.
See your local county election website for early voting locations and times. You can visit the Orange County Office of Elections here: https://www.ocfelections.com/early-voting.
Make a plan to vote early. The more days there are to vote the less lines we will encounter. Be ready to encounter possible lines. If proper precautions are followed, voting in person is not any more risky than going to the grocery store.
Check your voter registration ahead of time for any issues: https://register.rockthevote.com/registrants/new?partner=1&source=nvewsite%2F
- Wear a mask at all times (except when eating/drinking and maintain distance)
- Stand at least 6-8 feet apart in line
- Bring hand sanitizer, official photo ID, and mail-in ballot (if you are surrendering it)
- For extra precaution bring your own black ball point pen
- Sanitize before and after voting
- Be ready for possible lines
- Bring a folding chair, snacks, water, and your patience
- If you are told you are ineligible to vote
- Ask for a provisional ballot and the reason why. Your vote can still count. See more info on provisional ballots here: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/contacts/frequently-asked-questions/faq-voting/
- If you are turning in a mail in ballot
- Mail it in NOW, or turn it into the local Office of Elections or early voting center prior to 7pm on Election Day November 3rd. They have to be physically there before 7pm on Nov 3rd to count (postmark date does not count). Make sure to fill it out properly and follow ALL instructions. SIGN the back of the envelope with the same signature they have on file for you. Many mail-in ballots are thrown out and not counted due them not being filled out correctly or no signature.
- You may surrender your mail-in ballot and vote in person if you wish.
- You can check online to see if your ballot was processed correctly. There's a lot more to vote for than just the Presidency. Remember to read up on the local elections as well. This includes judges, property appraiser, state senate, etc. These are the people that will represent us. You can get more information on what's on your ballot at: https://votesaveamerica.com, and https://votereducationweek.org.
Stay safe. Be kind to each other. Exercise your right to vote. Every single vote matters.
Gratefully,
Tania Velez, MD, DIMPH
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Gratefully,
Tania Velez, MD, DIMPH
