Pandemic voting is easy with mail-in ballots. But you have to do it the right way | Opinion

A record number of Miami-Dade County residents — more than 262,000 — cast their votes by mail in the Aug. 18 primary election.

Unfortunately, the Elections Department rejected more than 7,000 of those ballots, for three main reasons:

1. There was no signature. The biggest reason ballots were rejected was that voters did not sign the back of the return envelope.

2. The ballot arrived too late to be counted.

3. Some signatures didn’t match what officials have on file from when the voter first registered. Voters can update and resubmit their signatures online.

With a larger-than-ever Vote By Mail (VBM) turnout expected for the 2020 presidential election, this is the best time to review details of the process.

First, residents must be registered to vote in order to receive a VBM ballot. The deadline for voter registration is Oct. 5, which is 29 days before the Nov. 3 election.

Voters who don’t already have a VBM ballot should contact the Supervisor of Elections ASAP to request one. Go to: www.miamidade.gov/elections and follow the menu buttons, or call 305-499-8444. Oct. 24 is the deadline for requesting a VBM ballot, but we recommend that voters do it weeks earlier, to ensure the Elections Department receives it in time.

The Elections Department will begin mailing out VBM ballots on Oct. 1. Anyone who got one for the primary election in August should automatically get one for the general election. Any voter who doesn’t receive it by early October needs to contact the Supervisor of Elections.

Voters should return their completed ballots immediately, with their signature on the back of the envelope, and their name and phone number should the Elections Department need to get in touch. Voters should make sure their ballot is in its sleeve before placing it in the envelope. In Miami-Dade County, voters do not have to put a stamp on the envelope before mailing in their ballots.

Shoot for Oct. 17

We recommend that voters put their ballots in the mailbox no later than Oct. 17. Postal officials anticipate an immense number of mail-in ballots for this election, so processing will take longer than usual.

The Elections Department must receive all mail-in ballots by 7 p.m. Election Day, Nov. 3. Any ballot simply postmarked on Nov. 3 will not be counted. Ballots must be received by that day.

However, anyone concerned about a VBM ballot arriving on time can drop it off at the Elections Department in Doral, 2700 NW 87th Ave., or at any early-voting site the last two weeks of October. Voters cannot drop off ballots at their precinct polling site on Election Day. However, they can still vote in person. It’s best to bring your uncompleted VBM ballot to the polling site.

After voters return a ballot, they should track it at miamidade.gov/elections. They can scroll down to the blue button for “Vote by Mail.” That page will be full of information, including “Track the status of your ballot online.”

Residents will know whether their vote was counted or rejected. If the ballot has been rejected the Elections Department will notify the voter by mail, phone or email.

Curing a ballot

If, through tracking, a voter discovers the Supervisor of Elections has rejected the VBM ballot, that voter should take immediate action to “cure” the ballot. Such voters will have to sign an affidavit verifying who they are and present a copy of a photo ID. Though the Supervisor of Elections will send out that affidavit, to save time, voters can download it at www.miamidade.gov/elections. Click on the blue ‘Vote by Mail’ button, and scroll to the bottom to “Cure My Signature.” Print the form, fill it out, sign it, scan it, then email it back, or use the postal service —”snail mail” — to return it to the Elections Department. Include a copy of a photo ID.

Voters can also drop off those documents at the Elections Department. Affidavit cures must be received by 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5.

Remember, residents can always change their minds and vote in person instead. They can early-vote at any polling site, or on Election Day at their designated polling station.

However residents choose to do it, please vote! Our democracy is counting on everyone to do so.

Jane W. Moscowitz is an attorney and voter protection activist. She is a senior fellow at the University of Miami Law School’s Center for Ethics and Public Service. Roman Lyskowski is an activist and leader with Rise Up Florida!, a local grassroots progressive movement.