FLORIDA – The Advancement Project has provided a Top 10 list of things you should know to educate and protect voters in Florida
1. VOTERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO AN ASSISTOR OF THEIR CHOICE
A voter has the right to assistance in voting, including for the reasons of blindness, disability, limited English proficiency, or inability to read or write. The assistor must not be their employer or union representative. A voter protection advocate can also assist any voter who asks him or her for help, and may alert a poll worker to provide assistance to elderly or distressed voters in line.
2. ANY BALLOTS CAST IN THE WRONG PRECINCT WILL NOT BE COUNTED.
Voter Protection Advocates must make every effort to assist voters in determining their correct precinct. If a voter is in the wrong precinct, direct the voter to a poll worker who will determine the correct precinct and provide directions. If a poll worker is not available, the advocate or voter can use a smart phone to access the Florida Division of Elections Website at: http://registration.elections.myflorida.com/CheckVoterStatus and follow the instructions on “Check Your Voter Status” to determine his/her correct precinct.
3. VOTERS NOT ON THE VOTER ROLLS CAN STILL VOTE
If a voter is not found on the voter rolls, the voter must make sure a poll worker has carefully and thoroughly checked the precinct register to verify the spelling of the voter’s name. If, after a thorough check of the precinct register, the voter is still not located, the poll worker should direct the voter to the “help desk” at the precinct or call the Supervisor of Elections office to locate the voter. If the voter is not found on the rolls instruct the voter that they can still vote a provisional ballot.
4. PROVISIONAL BALLOTS ARE A LAST RESORT.
Voting by regular ballot is preferred. If the voter is not located on the voter rolls, and if a poll worker concludes that the voter cannot vote by regular ballot then the voter should accept a provisional ballot. Advocates should inform all provisional voters that they may present written evidence of their eligibility to vote to the supervisor’s office by 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday after the election in order to ensure their ballot is counted. If a voter voted provisionally solely because she failed to bring identification with her to the polls, she need not (but may) provide additional evidence of eligibility to ensure that her provisional ballot will be counted.
5. MANY FORMS OF IDENTIFICATION ARE ACCEPTABLE.
All voters are required to show one or a combination of the following valid photo identifications as long as they contain a picture and signature: 1) Florida driver’s license, 2) Florida identification card, 3) U.S. passport, 4) debit or credit card, 5) military identification, 6) student identification, 7) retirement center identification, 8) neighborhood association identification, or 9) public assistance identification. If a voter’s ID does not include a signature, the voter must produce additional identification that bears his or her signature from the list above. If the signature on the identification does not appear to match the signature on the precinct register, a poll worker should instruct the voter to complete an affidavit affirming the voter’s identity and qualification to vote in the county, and the poll worker should give the voter a regular ballot.
6. VOTERS WHO MOVED MUST VOTE IN THEIR NEW PRECINCT.
Voters who have moved must vote in the precinct that serves their new address. A voter can change his or her address on Election Day and vote a regular ballot if the Supervisor of Elections has an Electronic Poll Register. If the county does not use Electronic Poll Registers, a voter can step outside the polling place, call the Supervisor of Elections office, and initiate an address change. After the address change is complete, the voter should re-enter the polling place and continue the voter verification process and vote a regular ballot.
7. VOTERS WHO ARE CHALLENGED BASED ON RESIDENCE MAY BE PERMITTED TO VOTE BY REGULAR BALLOT.
If a voter’s eligibility is challenged on the basis that the voter’s residence is not in the precinct, the voter must be given an opportunity to execute a change of address and, if the voter is in the correct precinct, vote by regular ballot. If the voter is in the wrong precinct, a poll worker must identify the voter’s correct precinct and direct the voter to that precinct.
8. VOTERS WHO REQUESTED AN ABSENTEE BALLOT MAY BE ABLE TO VOTE BY REGULAR BALLOT.
If the precinct register shows that a voter requested an absentee ballot, a poll worker must determine whether the voter completed and submitted an absentee ballot. If the voter brings an absentee ballot to the polls to surrender it, or the poll worker otherwise determines that the voter’s absentee ballot has not been received by the Supervisor of Election’s office, the poll worker must give the voter a regular ballot.
If the voter has not brought an absentee ballot to the polls and the poll worker is unable to determine if the absentee ballot was received, the poll worker must issue a provisional ballot.
9. TAKE ALL COMPLAINTS OF VOTER INTIMIDATION SERIOUSLY AND DO NOT ALLOW POLL WATCHERS TO INTIMIDATE VOTERS.
If anyone tells you that voters are being intimidated, immediately call the help line or the supervisor’s office. Poll watchers are only allowed to observe the process. They may not ask voters for their ID or interact directly with voters. Poll watchers are not allowed to interfere with poll workers’ responsibilities or slow down the operation of a precinct. If a poll watcher is not following these rules, immediately contact the supervisor’s office.
10. A VOTER MAY RECEIVE UP TO TWO REPLACEMENT BALLOTS IF THE VOTER MAKES A MISTAKE IN COMPLETING HER BALLOT.
If a voter makes a mistake on his or her ballot, s/he may receive up to two replacement ballots. This means the voter has up to three chances to complete his or her ballot correctly.
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