Leon County: Proactively gearing up for the 2024 elections amid ‘off-year’
People will often walk up to me and ask, “What do you and your team do during off election years?” I understand that question, after all, here in Leon County our only regularly scheduled elections are during even years - so during these odd years my team and I must be relaxing and kicking back. Well, as much as I wish that might be the case, there are no off-years in elections, especially here in the capital county of Florida. Working on election legislation, procedures, and preparing for elections is nearly as much work as running one. In fact, my office began planning for 2024 before the ink was dry on the 2022 results.
One of our bigger projects this year was an accessibility review of every Election Day polling place in Leon County. We surveyed all 85 locations to ensure that voters with disabilities can access these buildings to vote their ballot in secret, a right we all should be able to exercise. The review revealed that several polling places did not meet the latest accessibility guidelines. So, to ensure that all voters can exercise their right to vote, we found several new locations that are more accessible.
In 2024 around 35,000 voters will have a new polling place for Election Day. If you are one of these voters, we will send you an updated voter information card in the mail soon.
We have also been hard at work maintaining the Leon County voter rolls. Every day new voters register to vote, and my staff adds them to the registration system. At the same time, we also remove voters who have moved away, died, or are no longer eligible. Similarly, we stay busy processing thousands of petitions for candidates and issues that are aiming for space on the ballot. It may not be as exciting as opening the doors at 7 a.m. on Election Day or finishing a post-election audit, but it’s this daily work that keeps our election system running efficiently and in a trustworthy manner.
Now that 2024 is just around the corner, we are hiring extra staff to fill out our teams so we can provide the excellent service that Leon County voters have come to expect. If you are interested, I encourage you to visit LeonVotes.gov to see if you might be a good fit. After all, it takes a whole community to be Election Ready.
Speaking of being Election Ready, I encourage you to take a few steps right now to ensure that you are Election Ready for 2024. First and foremost, if you are eligible but not yet registered to vote, the best time to do so is now. It only takes a few minutes, and most folks can register completely online at RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov. Registering to vote is the first step in making your voice heard in our democratic system. Don’t take it for granted.
If you are already registered, take a moment to check your voter registration record to make sure that your information is correct. If you recently moved, you may need to update your record.
If you plan to vote by mail, make sure we have your Vote-by-Mail ballot request on file. Due to a recent change in election law, all requests from before 2022 were wiped off the slate. So, if you have not filled out a request this year, we likely don’t have one for you. Fortunately, it is easy to check if we have your request on file or to submit a new one. Visit LeonVotes.gov and click on the “Your Voter Info” button to get started.
The 2024 presidential election year will be a busy one. Unlike gubernatorial election years, we start the presidential election cycle off early with the Presidential Preference Primary on March 19. And since presidential elections tend to result in high turnout, we can expect to stay busy all the way through November. So, just as my office is ensuring we are prepared, I encourage you to be Election Ready. Just visit LeonVotes.gov or give us a call at 850-606-8683 and we will be happy to help.
See you at the polls.
Mark Earley currently serves as Leon County Supervisor of Elections.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Mark Earley: Get ‘Election Ready’ for 2024
