Secretary Detzner Reminds Floridians of Upcoming August 1 Voter Registration Deadline

Tallahassee –

Secretary of State Ken Detzner released the following statement prior to the upcoming Primary Election on Tuesday, August 30, 2016:

"The August 1 deadline to register to vote or update your party affiliation for the Primary Election is only a few days away," said Secretary of State Ken Detzner. "Voters who are unsure of their registration status can use the Division of Elections Voter Information Lookup Tool, contact their local Supervisor of Elections office or contact the Division's main Voter Assistance Hotline at: 1.866.308.6739. Voter registration applications sent by mail and post-marked by August 1 will be accepted."

Floridians have several options to exercise their right to vote - voting-by-mail (formerly known as absentee), early voting, or voting at the polls on Election Day. Voters are encouraged to double check their voter registration information, update their signatures, and be aware of the following deadlines in advance of the 2016 Primary Election on Tuesday, August 30:

• Individuals not registered to vote in the State of Florida must submit a completed voter registration application by Monday, August 1, in order to participate in Florida's Primary Election.
• Voters who are already registered but want to update their political party affiliation must update their voter registration information by Monday, August 1, in order to have the change in effect for Florida' Primary Election.
• Floridians can check their current voter registration status and polling place by using the State of Florida Voter Lookup tool available on the Division of Elections website at registration.elections.myflorida.com/CheckVoterStatus.
• An update to a voter's signature for provisional and vote-by-mail (formerly absentee) ballot verification purposes for the Primary Election must be submitted no later than the start of the canvassing of absentee ballots, which may start as early as August 15, 2016.
• If already registered, Florida voters may update their name and address on their registration at any time by notifying their local Supervisor of Elections. Voters are encouraged to make those updates as soon as possible.

Additional information, including how to contact your local Supervisor of Elections, check your voter registration status, and find upcoming election dates, is available on YourVoteFlorida.com.

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About 'Get Ready. Get Set. Vote!'
In 2016, the Department of State is leading an effort to help educate voters through its Get Ready. Get Set. Vote! campaign which provides key voting-related information and resources in one central location on YourVoteFlorida.com. The webpage will be updated to communicate key voter registration and voting information throughout the 2016 election cycle and is also available in a Spanish version.

About the Division of Elections
The Florida Department of State's Division of Elections supports the Secretary of State, Florida's Chief Election Officer, in ensuring that Florida has fair and accurate elections. The Division's three bureaus; the Bureau of Election Records, Bureau of Voter Registration Services, and Bureau of Voting Systems Certification, have several responsibilities in the areas of legal compliance and elections administration to ensure that Florida's election laws are uniformly interpreted and implemented. The Division also assists local Supervisors of Elections in their duties, and promotes enhanced public awareness and participation in the electoral process. For more information about Florida's elections, visit dos.myflorida.com/elections/.

*Pursuant to Chapter 2016-37, Laws of Florida, beginning July 1, 2016 the term "Absentee Ballot" has changed to "Vote-by-Mail Ballot" in the State of Florida.