Voting tips for Election Day, Jan. 31

The League of Women Voters of Florida encourages all citizens to vote with confidence during this year's three elections. The first election date is the Florida GOP Presidential Preference Primary on Tuesday, Jan. 31. Early voting runs Jan. 21 to Jan. 28.

To make sure voters are as informed as possible about the process, the League offers these voting tips:

What happens on Election Day if my residential address is out-of-date?

Voters who have moved from one county to another, and who have not updated their address with their Supervisor of Elections, could be handed a provisional ballot at the polls under Florida's new election law. You can change your address by simply calling your Supervisor of Elections before you get to the polls.

I have heard that vote-by-mail ballots are not counted unless the election is close. Is that true?

False! Vote-by-mail ballots are actually the first ballots to be counted. By Florida law, supervisors can begin tabulating vote-by-mail ballots 15 days before Election Day. Vote-by-mail results are not actually counted until after 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Where do I vote if I have been forced out of my home due to foreclosure?

The law states that you must vote in the precinct where you live on Election Day. Voters in a foreclosure situation have several options: any voter can vote early at one of several designated early voting sites in their county. There are no assigned precincts for early voting. In addition, you may request a vote-by-mail ballot by calling your local supervisor. The most practical option is to contact your supervisor and update your residential address before Election Day so that is current and accurate. You can do this by phone. Then go to your assigned precinct for your new address on Election Day.

Update your voter status!

The League encourages Florida voters to be ready for all three elections in 2012. The League has made it easy. The League encourages voters to take action: update your voter record for address changes, name changes and updates to vote-by-mail ballot requests. Visit BeReadyToVote.org or VamosAVotar.org

It's democracy made easy!

Charley Williams is a Voter Service Chair of the League of Women Voters of Florida and a Winter Park resident.