Page 13 - Voter GuideNEWESTGUIDE version I_Classical

Registering to Vote
YOU MAY REGISTER TO VOTE IF ...
 You are a US Citizen
 You are 18 years of age (may pre-register at 16, but must be 18 to vote)
 You are a legal resident of the State of Florida and of the county in which you
wish to register
 Registers pursuant to the Florida Election Code
Anyone convicted of a felony or declared mentally incompetent with respect to voting,
may not register or vote until his or her civil rights or competency has been legally
restored.
HOW TO REGISTER
You may register in person at the elections office, driver’s license offices, public
libraries, HRS office and other state offices that serve persons with disabilities. You
may also register by mail by completing and printing the on-line form on our website
at: www.sumterelections.org or by picking up an application at one of the Sumter
County public libraries, post offices, city halls, and other public locations. You can also
call our office and request an application be sent to you (352) 569-1540.
FIRST-TIME VOTERS WHO REGISTER BY MAIL
Special identification requirements apply if you register by mail and you are a first-
time voter in the State and you have NOT been issued a Florida driver license number,
Florida identification number, or a Social Security number. Instead, you must provide
one of the following forms of identification that are current & valid in order to register
if it contains your name and photograph:
 United States passport,  Debit or credit card,
 Military identification,  Student identification,
 Retirement center identification,
 Neighborhood association identification, or
 Public assistance identification.
Or you can provide instead a copy of a current and valid utility bill, bank statement,
government check, paycheck, or other government document containing your name
and current residence address. DO NOT SEND original documents. To avoid any
potential problems when you go to vote, it is best that you submit a copy of the
required identification with your voter registration form. If you wait until later and
vote by mail, you must provide a copy of the identification with your ballot or your
ballot will not count.
If you fall into one of the following categories, you do not have to satisfy these special
identification requirements, provided you swear or affirm under penalty of oath on
your ballot certificate that you are exempt:
 Are 65 years of age or older.
 Have a temporary or permanent physical disability.
 Are a member of the uniformed services on active duty or a spouse or
dependent , thereof, who, by reason of such active duty, is absent from the
county on Election Day.
 Are a member of the Merchant Marine or a spouse or dependent thereof, who,
by reason of service in the Merchant Marine, is absent from the county on
Election Day.
 Are residing outside the United States but are eligible to vote in Florida.
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