I didn't let the Legislature's changes stop me from voting by mail — you shouldn't either
If you like voting by mail, be proactive and update your voter registration information now.
If you, like me, have been voting by mail for many years, it may surprise you to know that in order to continue voting by mail, your personal information must be updated. New legislation now requires this update every year.
For example, this year the voter registrar needs to have your driver’s license number (or other state-issued ID number) as well as the last four digits of your Social Security number.
Sounds straightforward? Well, not really.
My letter from the voter registration office in the county advised me to go to a state website (registertovoteflorida.gov) to add this personal information. But, when I went there, I needed to enter my address. My address has not changed.
Although I think I know my address, the state website does not allow you to enter your address as you know it. For example, I live on SW 10th Terrace. But the website instructs you to enter your street name as 10. No SW, no “th,” no Terrace. When I followed those instructions, the website stated my address was not recognized.
I was not surprised, because Gainesville has streets and avenues. And besides, I live in Micanopy, but that information was not able to be entered because the address was already unrecognized.
After a few efforts to enter the address I have used for many years, I was directed to the U.S. Postal Service website. USPS pulled up my address as I know it, but it could not be put into the state website. The state website persisted in saying my address as listed by USPS was not recognized.
I called our county and was told that the state website was not under county control and had some “peculiarities.” I understand the need to update our address since 30% of people change their address each year. But 70% do not change their address, so why shouldn’t the address of record be the default, and we make changes only if there are changes to report?
I was tempted to just give up.
Don’t do it.
Don’t give up your right to vote from home if that is your wish. Call Michael Bruckman at the office of voter registration at 352-264-7017 to be sure that your mail-in ballot information has been entered correctly. The county will help you hop the obstacles that the state Legislature imposed upon voters hoping to vote by mail.
Do this before Aug. 13 if you hope to vote by mail in the upcoming election.
Nancy Hardt, MD, lives in Micanopy.
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This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Nancy Hardt: Florida Legislature created obstacles to voting by mail
