Florida voters won’t be affected by Monday’s Supreme Court ruling on mail-in ballots. The court ruled 5-4 to uphold Mississippi’s law that allows mail-in ballots to be counted as long as they are postmarked and received within five days of Election Day.
Florida law only allows late ballots from voters who are overseas, and only if they are returned by mail, explained Paul Lux, supervisor of elections for Okaloosa County.
“To be perfectly candid, in Florida, our laws have been very clear,” said Paul Lux. “They are given an extra 10 days only in presidential preference primaries and general elections.”
Nothing will change in Florida as a result of the ruling, Lux said. Vote-by-mail ballots must be at a supervisor of elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
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There was an increase in vote-by-mail ballots during the coronavirus pandemic, but in the 2024 election, the numbers went back down to normal, said Lux.
When it comes to overseas ballots, it’s a small and niche voter population, even in a military-heavy area like Okaloosa County, the supervisor said. Though he does get complaints from people in Hawaii about not having a grace period.
“‘Do you know how much water is between here and there?’ Yep, I get it, but you're in the United States, and you're not overseas,” he said about the complaints. “Did I get an overseas service ribbon in the Army for serving in Hawaii? Yep. Still doesn't mean you're overseas.”
The best advice for getting your mail-in ballot counted is to get it done as soon as possible.
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“Years ago, when I was in the military, we were always told by our voting assistance officers in the military, ‘Vote your ballot as soon as you can as soon as you get it,’” said Lux. “Fill it out, drop it in the mail that same day or the next day. And, of course, that's still some of the best advice I can give people.”
Lux also reminds voters that mail-in ballots can be dropped off to secure intake stations at local elections offices.
“If you're out running errands, you can swing by any supervisor's office in your county to drop ballots there,” he added.
You can also track your ballot on your supervisor of elections' website.
