Vote By Mail Update & 5 Reasons to Sign Up!

It’s still the easiest way to vote!

It’s still the safest way to vote!

It’s still the smartest way to vote!

Despite recent changes to election law, Voting by Mail remains a safe, convenient and efficient way to cast your ballot! 

The New Law:

You may have heard about Florida’s new election laws since the 2020 election and how they placed restrictions on voting. As Democrats, we fought hard against these unnecessary obstacles to Democracy. There are many objectionable provisions in the laws, but Voting by Mail remains mostly the same in Miami-Dade.

What’s the same?

Voters who receive a ballot at home are the most reliable voters!  These voters still have 3 ways to vote:

Vote by mail, via Drop Box or in-person! AND they get their ballot weeks before an election to review!

• Any registered voter can still enroll to Vote by Mail with no excuse needed. 
• Voters can request a ballot for one election or multiple elections and can have a ballot sent to an address other than their registration address if they will be away from home.
• The methods to enroll are the same: Online, Email, Fax, or call! And the deadline to enroll is the same: Request a ballot by 5pm on the 10th day before an election.
• Ballots must be received by the Elections Dept. by 7pm on Election Day (not simply postmarked). 
• Ballots do not require postage in Miami-Dade and can be returned via mail or Drop Box (now called “Secure Ballot Intake Station”).

What’s changed?

• When requesting a mail ballot, a FL Driver License/ID number or the last 4 digits of a Social Security Number is now required (providing both is recommended but not required).
• If you choose to receive a ballot for “all elections,” this request will now expire after every General Election (Presidential/Midterm) - previously this was two General Election cycles. Voters who enrolled after the law went into effect 5/6/21 will need to re-enroll after the 2022 General Election.
• Drop Boxes will not be available at multiple locations after the end of Early Voting.  The only location with a drop box after Early Voting ends will be the Elections Department.

Here are five reasons you should sign up to Vote-By-Mail.

1) Vote-By-Mail is safe, convenient and free.

• You can sign up in just a few minutes by calling the Elections Department at 305-499-8444 during business hours, or by visiting www.votefromhome.miami.
• Vote-By-Mail is free in Miami-Dade County. If you choose to mail back your ballot, you do not need postage in Miami-Dade County to return your vote-by-mail ballot.

2) Vote-By-Mail increases turnout.

• The Florida Democratic Party did a study of voter turnout rates after the 2018 elections.
• Across the board, voters who are signed up for Vote-By-Mail turn out to vote at higher rates than the general population.

Vote by Mail makes it easy for YOU to turn out!

3) Vote-By-Mail is good for ALL elections (not just the presidential election!)

• You don't need an excuse to request a vote-by-mail ballot in Florida.
• When you sign up to get your ballot mailed to you, you can check the box to receive it for "All Elections" for ONE general election cycle. That means, when there's a local election for city council or a special election for County Commission, you'll get a ballot for that election, letting you know that there's an election happening! Check a box, sign your envelope, mail it back and you've just helped your local community without ever leaving home! How easy is that?
• Some of the most important elections that affect our daily lives are held at different times than presidential elections. Sign up for Vote-By-Mail and be sure you won't miss a single one!

4) Vote-By-Mail gives you options

If you're signed up for Vote-By-Mail, you have many ways to vote.

• Always remember to sign the back of the envelope.

• You can mail your ballot but be sure to give it plenty of time to get to the Supervisor of Elections. Definitely mail it at least before August 9, 2022 for the August 23rd Primary Election!

• You can also complete your mail ballot, seal it, sign the envelope, and take it to any Early Voting site (during Early Voting days/hours only) and drop it in a secure Drop Box there. You can also return mail ballots for your immediate family members and up to two non-family members in a Drop Box.  NOTE: You CANNOT drop off a mail ballot at your polling place on Election Day.  If you have not returned your mail ballot by then, VOTE IN PERSON at your polling place.

• See? Vote by Mail is all about options! And remember that you can always vote in person even if you have requested a mail ballot so long as the Elections Department has not yet received your completed mail ballot. We suggest you bring the mail ballot to the polling location to turn in, but that is NOT required!

5) You Can Verify Your Ballot Was Received

• You can check online that your ballot was received and counted. Go to www.checkmyballot.miami to verify that your request was received, that your ballot is on its way, and then verify it was received and counted.

So, those are just 5 reasons why you should be signed up for Vote-By-Mail.

Ready to sign up? Go to https://www.votefromhome.miami. You'll be asked to sign up for ballot alerts from the Miami-Dade Democratic Party (that's us), and then you'll be directed to the Elections Department web portal to sign up.