Voting in Lake County – How we Keep you Safe

I’m sure there is going to be a HUGE turnout Nov. 3rd but here are some things that Lake County, FL election workers are doing to keep you safe:

1. Election workers will be wearing a mask and/or face shield while voters are present.
2. We will be wiping down the laminated secrecy covers, privacy booths, door handles, tabletops, signature pads, etc.
3. We will have hand sanitizer, gloves, and masks available for those who forgot theirs.
4. We will be offering untouched pens for those voters who didn’t bring their own pen.
5. We will have an acrylic I.D. holder to help minimize touching IDs.
6. Some election workers may be wearing gloves as added protection.
7. We will be providing a q-tip swab to sign the electronic signature screen.

What I am asking voters to do ahead of time:

1. Please come in wearing a mask if you believe in them and feel safer wearing one.
2. We are practicing social distancing.
3. Please bring your own pen that you can take with you when you’re done.
4. To minimize time in the room, please try to do your research beforehand. We can’t give you the answers anyway.
5. Please make sure you have a valid and current Florida photo I.D. (We actually accept 12 different kinds of identification but they must have a photo of you and/or your signature on them to count). Identification can be 1 or 2 of the following: FL driver license, FL ID card issued by the DHSMV, U.S. passport, debit/credit card, Military ID, Student ID, Retirement center ID, Neighborhood association ID, Publix assistance ID, Veteran health ID issued by the VA, Concealed Carry Permit, Employee ID of government employee.
6. We will NOT ask you to remove your mask to verify the photo as we look for facial similarities during this time.
7. Please sign your signature as close to the signature on your ID as possible.
8. You must vote on Election Day in your own precinct. If you prefer to come to one of the 12 early voting sites, you can vote anywhere in your county. (Early Voting is 10/19 – 10/31)

About Mail-In Ballots

There has been a lot of talk about how safe the mail system is for mail-in ballots. Guess what? You can drop them off at one of the early voting sites starting on 10/19 or at the main elections department in Tavares! Today, I dropped mine off at the main elections department. They have this cool mailbox looking box outside their front door that you can drive up to and slide your ballots in. However, here are some tips:

1. Make sure the envelope is sealed, signed and dated. Otherwise, the elections department has to contact you to inform you that there is an issue.
2. You MUST take your mail-in ballot to the main elections department if you are dropping it off on Nov. 3rd BEFORE 7p.m.
3. If you prefer to vote in person, that is fine and you are welcome to bring in your mail-in ballot to void if you wish. To help avoid fraud, the first ballot received is the one counted. This means you can’t come in and vote in person and still expect to drop off your ballot at the main office. Only one will count!
4. If you make a mistake on your mail-in ballot you can request a new mail-in if early enough or come vote in person. Some people make mistakes and cross off the mistake to correct their ballot. Those ballots go in front of the canvassing board to see whether that vote on that item will or won’t count.

This is my own post since I volunteer as an election worker and none of this post is endorsed by the elections department. I just want to try and make voting easier for everyone and help ease the concerns of some people. We are looking to keep everyone safe during this time and we want EVERYONE who is eligible to get out there and vote.