NEWS RELEASE: Last Day to Request an Absentee Ballot be Mailed for the General Election is October 31st

Absentee ballots requested after October 31st can be picked up at the Elections office

Collier County, FL – October 29, 2012: Wednesday, October 31st is the last day to request an absentee ballot for the General Election be sent through the mail. After 5:00 p.m. on October 31st, voters requesting an absentee ballot are required to pick up their ballot at the Supervisor of Elections office. Voters may request an absentee ballot at the CollierVotes.com “Vote by Mail” page or by calling the Supervisor of Elections Office at (239) 252-8450.

“Voting by absentee is a great way to avoid long lines at the polls,” said Jennifer Edwards, Collier County Supervisor of Elections. “Any voter can vote absentee, and voters can request to pick up an absentee ballot even through the day before the Election.”

Once an absentee ballot is completed, the ballot must be placed in the official, white, ballot return envelope provided and the voter must sign the envelope where indicated. Completed absentee ballots must be returned to the Supervisor of Elections Office by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 6th.

The Collier County Elections office has received over 54,000 absentee requests to date, with more than 34,000 absentee ballots cast.

Voters who receive an absentee ballot and decide to vote during early voting or on Election Day should take their marked or unmarked ballot to the polling site so it can be cancelled. Absentee ballots submitted at an early voting site or Election Day precinct will not be counted.

Voters with questions about voting their absentee ballot can view the CollierVotes.com “Absentee Ballot FAQs”.

For more information, visit www.CollierVotes.com or call the Elections office at (239) 252-8450.