Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner is urging voters who have requested vote-by-mail ballots for the Aug. 18 primary election to vote and return them promptly so they are received in time to be counted. “Vote-by-mail ballots must be received in the elections office by 7 p.m. on election night,” Turner says. “Because we have sent out a record number of vote-by-mail ballots for this election, I strongly urge voters to return them as soon as possible to avoid mail delays and the risk of being received too late to be counted,” he added. Turner also reminds voters that the deadline to request ballots be mailed to them for this election is 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8.

To request a vote-by-mail ballot, a voter may call (941) 861-8618, submit an online request at SarasotaVotes.com/VotebyMail or request by email to [email protected] and include your name, birth date and address where ballot should be mailed.

Voted ballots may be returned by mail or in person to any of the three elections offices in Sarasota, Venice or North Port.  Voters may also drop voted ballots into secure vote-by-mail drop boxes now located in all three elections offices during normal business hours, and inside early voting locations during early voting dates and times.