JACKSONVILLE, Fla.---We are just twelve days away from primary elections.
So far, Duval County has received roughly 11,000 vote by mail ballots. That's nearly a quarter of the ones they've sent out in the mail.
One viewer mailed in his concerns to First Coast News after he learned he had to sign up again to receive his vote by mail ballot. The act of signing up isn't new, but Eric Evans says a reminder would've been nice.
Eric Evans is stuck at home still recovering from eye surgery.
"I’ve had three operations, it’s difficult for me to go anywhere, so I need that absentee ballot," Evans said.
He’s relying on his vote by mail ballot to vote in the upcoming primary and general election. He’s used write-in ballots for years in Duval County.
“It alarmed us that we found out that we had to sign up again and didn’t know it.”
Evans says it wasn’t until his wife called the supervisor of elections last month they learned Florida homeowners had to continue to sign up for vote by mail ballots.
“We’ve never known that they’ve gone to the practice of not sending those out automatically.”
Chief Elections Assistant for Duval County Supervisor of Elections says the idea of ballots being automatically sent out is a common misconception.
“That’s a common misconception that people think there’s a permanent list for vote by mail, Florida is no-excuse absentee voting, but you still have to request one," Phillips said.
There is not a formal reminder to voters that they have to actively sign back up according to the supervisor of elections. Phillips says the county hopes the sample ballot serves as the reminder.
“We hope that’s sort of a reminder if you haven’t asked for a vote by mail ballot, you can use this opportunity now to get it.”
Evans wishes the county’s reminder would be more noticeable.
“If you’re expecting that to tell people that they’ve got to sign up, then put it on their in big red letters maybe.”
Evans would like a more noticeable reminder so people like him who rely on vote by mail ballots will have plenty of time to review them before the election.
To find out if you’re voting registration is up to date and if you’re eligible for early voting by mail visit: https://www.duvalelections.com/Voter-Information/Vote-By-Mail#mail