MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade County kicked off its vote-by-mail process this week, sending out more than 260,000 ballots to voters ahead of what’s expected to be a high-turnout election.
Miami-Dade Elections Supervisor Christina White urged voters Tuesday to return their ballots as soon as possible, either by mail or by using a designated drop box during early voting.
“By the time we mail it to you, and you take time to vote and get it back to us, you’re really going to be up against that deadline of Election Day at 7 p.m., so don’t wait until the last minute,” said White.
The process is underway across South Florida, with Broward County also sending out over a quarter-million ballots.
While the deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is still open, elections officials in both counties are emphasizing the importance of submitting ballots early to avoid any potential issues that could arise as Election Day approaches.
White also provided guidance on a crucial step in the process.
She said each vote-by-mail ballot envelope includes a signature box, and it’s critical that voters sign it correctly. The elections office compares signatures on returned ballots to those on file to verify the voter’s identity.
“When you sign this, we are comparing your signature on this envelope to the signatures that we have on file, and so that does need to match,” White said.
Despite the rigorous signature matching process, White reassured voters that rejection rates are typically very low.
When ballots are rejected, it’s usually because the voter forgot to sign the envelope. Even in those cases, White said, the elections office makes an effort to reach out to voters and help them resolve the issue.
“If you give us your contact information, we will reach out to tell you if you forgot to sign or if your signature doesn’t match,” White said. “We will mail you a letter, call you, text you, email you—whatever information we have on file—to say your ballot might be rejected. You really need to fill out this affidavit and get it back to us in order for it to be accepted.”
White also emphasized that Miami-Dade voters have multiple options for casting their ballots, including in-person early voting and Election Day voting.
For those who prefer not to vote by mail, early in-person voting and Election Day voting options are also available.
“However you do it, vote,” White urged.