All qualified voters are permitted to vote absentee under Florida law.
REQUESTING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT
To request an absentee ballot, call our Absentee Coordinator at 758-1026, ext 105. You also may come to our Lake City or Ft White office to request an Absentee Ballot. Finally, you may submit an Absentee Ballot Request here to send a request by email.
In any method you choose, you must provide:
The name of the voter for whom the ballot is requested;
The voter’s address;
The voter’s date of birth;
The requester’s name;
The requester’s address;
The requester’s driver’s license number, if available;
The requester’s relationship to the voter; and,
The requester’s signature (written request only).
We must receive a request for an absentee ballot no later than 5 p.m. on the sixth day before the election.
MILITARY, MERCHANT MARINE OR CIVILIAN OVERSEAS
Military (and their dependants), Merchant Marine and overseas civilians should complete a Federal Postcard Application (FPCA). You may download an FPCA by clicking here.Once the form is completed and signed you may mail it to:
Supervisor of Elections
ATTN: UOCAVA Absentee Coordinator
971 W Duval Street, Suite 102
Lake City, Florida 32055
You may create a postage paid envelope to return your FPCA by placing a #10 business envelope in your printer and printing the form shown here.
You may also contact the Military/Overseas Voter Coordinator, 758-1026 ext 103, or email absentee@votecolumbia.com to have an FPCA mailed to you. An FPCA acts as both a voter registration application and an absentee request.
ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUESTS BY OTHER THAN ELECTOR
An elector's immediate family or legal guardian may request an absentee ballot for the elector. “Immediate family” means the designee’s spouse or the parent, child, grandparent or sibling of the designee or the designee's spouse. A requester must disclose:
Name of elector
Elector’s address
Requester’s name and address
Requester’s driver’s license number, if available
Requester's relationship to elector
Requester’s signature (written request only)
We must receive a request for an absentee ballot no later than 5 p.m. on the sixth day before the election.
ABSENTEE BALLOT PICKUP BY OTHER THAN ELECTOR
An absentee ballot may be picked up from the Supervisor of Elections office up to 4 days prior to the day of the election by a designee.
The elector must:
Specify in writing the individual designated to pick up their absentee ballot.
Please print and include the individual's birthdate
Sign the written authorization.
The designee must:
Present the written authorization from the elector.
Present photo identification to the Supervisor of Election's office.
Complete an affidavit stating they have been authorized to pick up an absentee ballot for the elector.
State on the affidavit what their relationship is to the elector.
A designee is allowed to pick up no more than two absentee ballots per election other than their own, except that additional ballots may be picked up for members of the designee's immediate family as defined above.
RETURNING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT
Marked ballots must be mailed or delivered in person reaching the Supervisor of Elections’ office not later than 7 p.m. on the day of the election. Do not return your voted absentee ballot to a polling place.
If you have obtained an absentee ballot but are able to vote in your precinct on election day, you must take the absentee ballot with you to the polls, whether or not it has been marked. However, if you are unable to return the ballot, you may vote a provisional ballot.
