Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 9-23-16 Online Edition

Supervisor Of Elections Urges Residents To Vote Early
Early Voting
On Friday, September 23rd, Craig Latimer, Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elec- tions, will mail out the first bal- lots for the General Election in November. However, La- timer is encouraging Hills- borough County voters to consider voting before Election Day.
He said, “In 2012, 62% of our voters voted early or by mail, and because of that we didn't experience long lines on Election Day. We are once again expecting heavy turnout for this election, so we're ask- ing voters to take advantage of the convenience of those op- tions."
He also released important dates pertaining to the upcom- ing election.
Here's what voters need to know about voting before Elec- tion Day.
CRAIG LATIMER Hillsborough County Supervisor Of Elections
Voter Registration Deadline:
New voter registration ap- plications must be submitted no later than Tuesday, October 11, for this election. The appli- cation is available online, but the application must be printed, signed and submitted in person or by mail.
Applications are also avail- able at all four Hillsborough
County Supervisor of Elections offices, as well as driver license offices, public libraries, state public assistance agencies and tax collector's offices.
Voter Updates
Anyone needing to make changes to their voter registra- tion information is encouraged to do so now to make sure their voter registration information is current. They can visit the website to learn how to update their name, signature, residen- tial or mailing address.
Name and address changes can be made any time, but vot- ers are encouraged to do it in advance.
Voting By Mail
More than 5,000 ballots are going out to overseas and absent military voters on Fri- day, and the office is preparing more than 170,000 ballots to be mailed to local voters on October 4. Voters have until November 2 to request a Vote By Mail ballot, and the voted ballot must be in the elections office no later than 7 p.m. on November 8 to be counted.
Anyone can vote by mail, and many people prefer this method for its convenience. In Hillsborough County, ballots arrive in voters' mailboxes with postage-paid return en- velopes and I Voted By Mail' stickers. Voters can request an- other ballot if they make a mis- take.
Voters must sign the back of the envelope before return- ing the ballot, which can be mailed back or dropped off in person at any of the four Hills- borough County Supervisor of Elections offices or 16 Early Vote sites (when they're open). Voters can also track their bal- lot online.
Early Voting
Early Voting will begin on October 24th and end on No- vember 6th. Residents will be able to vote from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., 7 days a week.
Voters can choose any of 16 voting sites and vote when and where it is most convenient to them. Locations, expected wait times, and a list of acceptable ID are at www.VoteHillsbor- ough.org.
Individuals without the proper identification may vote a provisional ballot.
Also, Latimer said Sample Ballots will be available on Fri- day. Voters can see the races and issues that will be on their ballot by looking up their sam- ple ballot on their website.
Individualized sample bal- lots will also be sent to voters in mid-October. Voters are en- couraged to make their voting decisions before heading out to vote and bring their sample ballot with them for reference.
For more information about the election and voting call (813) 744-5900; or visit the www.VoteHillsbo- rough.org.
PAGE 8-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016