Vote By Mail is an important part of the Florida Democratic Party's strategy as we head into 2020, but some folks are understandably wary of signing up for the program after hearing stories in 2018 about ballots being held up at postal facilities or disqualified because of signature-match issues. Thankfully, recent changes to Florida state law will help fix some of these problems for elections to come.

Remember that if you receive a Vote By Mail ballot, you still have the option to vote in person. Now you'll also be able to skip the line by depositing your completed Vote By Mail ballot in a secure dropbox at any early voting location or at the Miami-Dade County Elections Department (2700 NW 87th Ave # 100).

Vote By Mail ballots will now be mailed out earlier—33 to 40 days before Election Day, versus the previously mandated 29 to 35 days.

The Vote By Mail request deadline has also been moved back to 10 days prior to Election Day to allow more time for mail delivery. However, it's still a good idea to request your ballot as soon as possible, and to mail it in well before Election Day. Keep in mind that you can also track your ballot through the Supervisor of Elections website.

The state will now allow more time for mismatched or missing signatures on ballots to be corrected (or "cured")—until 5 pm on the second day following Election Day. County canvassing boards, which review questionable signatures, will also be allowed to convene seven days earlier than in the past. This means that we will be able to notify voters who need to cure their ballots much sooner. The outside of the ballot envelope will now include a request for your email address and phone number so that if there's a problem, the Elections Department can reach you to resolve the issue.

Whether you choose to vote by mail or not, it's good to have the option because:

• you’ll receive a ballot in the mail every time there’s an election, including special elections, so it’s a handy reminder when it’s time to make your voice heard
• in case of an emergency—if you get sick or have to go out of town—you know you’ll still be able to cast your ballot
• you get a preview of the ballot, which is handy when there are a lot of races and ballot questions
• we know that folks who sign up to receive a Vote By Mail ballot are way more likely to turn out to vote than those who don’t:

It's easy to request a Vote By Mail ballot—just go to www.votefromhome.miami or call (305) 499-8444 to sign up.

Educating voters helps ensure that everyone can make their voice heard on Election Day, so share this post!