{"id":114830,"date":"2020-10-20T09:19:39","date_gmt":"2020-10-20T13:19:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=114830"},"modified":"2022-03-21T10:17:25","modified_gmt":"2022-03-21T14:17:25","slug":"what-to-know-about-voting-and-this-years-election-ballot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/what-to-know-about-voting-and-this-years-election-ballot\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Know About Voting and This Year\u2019s Election Ballot"},"content":{"rendered":"
This year\u2019s election seems more important than ever and to make the most out of your vote, here are some important things to know about the ballot, what\u2019s on it, and general voting information and policies<\/p>\n
“If residents of any state should to be voting, it ought to be Florida because we have a history of close elections so every vote matters.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cIf residents of any state should to be voting, it ought to be Florida because we have a history of close elections so every vote matters,\u201d says Stephen\u00a0Masyada, interim executive director for the Lou Frey Institute<\/a>. \u201cVoting is our biggest opportunity to make a change and this is a significant election no matter which candidate you support. There really is no reason to not make your voice heard, vote, and play a role in selecting the next president and influencing decisions that can have some pretty significant impacts on the state of Florida.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ways to Vote and Avoid Ballot Mistakes<\/h2>\n
\n
- Make sure you\u2019re registered to vote
\n<\/strong>If you\u2019re unsure about your voter registration status, visit CanIVote.org<\/a>. If you aren\u2019t registered to vote, the deadline to do so for the 2020 election has passed, but you should register ASAP to make sure you can participate in future elections.<\/li>\n- Consider early voting and bring your ID
\n<\/strong>From Oct. 19 \u2013 Nov. 1 early voting is taking place at select sites throughout Florida. There are 20 early voting sites in Orange County, including one in the Live Oak Center on UCF\u2019s main campus<\/a>, and eight in Seminole County. Lines on Election Day may be long, so early voting is a great way to avoid them and make sure you actually get to cast your ballot. Whether you\u2019re voting early or on Election Day you must bring a valid photo ID with a signature with you.<\/li>\n- Request and send mail-in ballots on time or trade it in at an early voting site
\n<\/strong>The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is 10 days before Election Day, which is Nov. 3. However, if you want to be sure your ballot is counted, Masyada suggests you mailing it out two weeks before Election Day. You can also drop off mail-in ballots at early voting sites during the early voting period, just be sure to place your ballot in the return envelope with a signature and date, just as you would do if you were mailing it. If you change your mind, you can also bring your mail-in ballot to an early voting site to exchange it and vote in person instead.<\/li>\n- Make sure your signature matches your government ID
\n<\/strong>No matter which method you choose to vote \u2014 but especially so for mail-in ballots \u2014 it is crucial to make sure your signature matches the one on your government ID, typically your driver\u2019s license. This is one of the most common mistakes that can prevent your vote from being counted and if you\u2019re voting by mail you likely won\u2019t know your vote hasn\u2019t been counted until it\u2019s too late, Masyada says.<\/li>\n- Use a black pen, completely fill in bubbles and don\u2019t make stray marks
\n<\/strong>If you\u2019re voting in person you\u2019ll likely be given an appropriate writing utensil, but if you\u2019re voting by mail be sure to use a black pen because other ink colors or pencil will not be detected by scanners, Masyada says. While you don\u2019t have to complete every question or category on the ballot, you must completely fill in ovals for the ones you want to fill out. And stray marks should be avoided to prevent any issues with counting your vote.<\/li>\n- Don\u2019t share your ballot on social media
\n<\/strong>While you may feel inclined to share your vote on social media, don\u2019t take a selfie with your ballot in a polling place and post it online because it\u2019s illegal and you may face consequences. Instead, you can post pictures with your \u201cI Voted\u201d sticker.<\/li>\n- Track your mail-in ballot
\n<\/strong>If you\u2019re mailing in your ballot, you can track the status of it through the Division of Elections\u2019\u00a0Voter Information Lookup<\/a>\u00a0or through your county\u2019s\u00a0Supervisor of Elections\u2019\u00a0website.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\nUnderstanding the Six Amendments on Florida\u2019s Ballot This Year<\/h3>\n