Promote
the Vote
Hernando County Supervisor of Elections Newsletter
September 2022
Table of Contents
Message from your Supervisor
Dear Voters: with the Primary Election in the rear view mirror, we are quickly rolling towards the November 8th General Election. The August 23rd Primary Election went well, with 37,887 voters participating. Our turnout was 25.8%. Vote-by-Mail continues to be the most popular way to vote, with 52% casting a ballot by mail, 38% voting on Election Day, and 10% voting at an Early Vote location.
Though I am confident we will have a larger turnout in the General Election, voters still need to be election ready! Decide in advance which method you'll use to vote, and use our Voter Lookup Tool to find your polling location for Election Day. Many locations have changed due to redistricting. If you choose to Vote-by-Mail, request your ballot before the deadline on October 29th at 5pm. If you are voting early, find out which location is closest to you by visiting our website. No matter which method you choose, know that every vote matters!
2022 Primary Election Wrap-Up
What are Secure Ballot Intake Stations?
Recent changes in Florida Election Law changed the name of Drop Boxes to Secure Ballot Intake Stations (SBIS). The stations are available for Hernando County voters who choose to deposit their ballot into a SBIS rather than mail-in through the USPS. Ballots for other counties or states may not be put into a Hernando County Secure Ballot Intake Station.
The bill requires that Secure Ballot Intake Stations are placed at all Supervisor of Elections offices and early voting sites. It also ensures that the location of Secure Ballot Intake Stations provide all voters with a reasonably equal opportunity to cast a ballot. The Secure Ballot Intake Stations are under 24-hour video surveillance, as well as monitored by a trained election worker or staff. The stations are emptied at the close of each business day and ballots are stored in a secure location until opened for processing. A voter may deposit their own ballot, any ballots belonging to their immediate family members, and no more than two ballots for other voters. An immediate family member is defined by the Florida Statute as a spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the voter or voter's spouse.
Read more about the bill which caused these changes: flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/90
Would you like to serve on the front lines of democracy?
Every day, citizens of Hernando County work with us to ensure everyone's voices can be heard — but we need all the help we can get! The first photo below depicts one of our awesome election workers, going above-and-beyond to ensure the security of our elections by monitoring a Secure Ballot Intake Station on-site in the rain, outside of our Forest Oaks branch office. In severe weather conditions, however, the station is brought indoors.
The second photo above shows a group of citizen volunteers opening mail-in ballots during Canvassing, doing their part and contributing to democracy. If you are interested in becoming an election worker for the 2022 General Election in November, you may learn more on our website: hernandovotes.gov/Election-Worker.
Book Closing is approaching quickly!
Book Closing is the deadline for registering to vote or updating your voter record in time for the November 8th, 2022 General Election, and will take place on Tuesday, October 11, 2022. Such changes include your name, address, party affiliation, or signature. Any changes made to your voter registration after this date will not be reflected in the General Election.
The last day to request a Vote-by-Mail ballot is also approaching. The deadline to request a VBM ballot is 5:00pm on the tenth day before Election Day, which is Saturday, October 29th, 2022. If you'd like to request a Vote-by-Mail ballot, you may do so on our website: hernandovotes.gov.
Track your ballot with BallotTrax!
If you are casting your ballot with Vote-by-Mail, you can track your ballot throughout the process. By signing up for BallotTrax, you can receive text alerts (or emails) through every step of the way (when received, counted, etc)! To get started, click the following link and enter your name, date of birth and zip code: hernandovotes.ballottrax.net.
Alternatively, you can visit our Voter Lookup Tool and view the status of your Vote-by-Mail ballot along with the rest of your registration information.