Christian Peterson
reporter.riverbendnews@gmail.com
“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” - Constitutional Amendment 15
The Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States enshrined in law every American citizen's right to vote. While elections and voting, by extension, are part of the lifeblood of the United States, many still find themselves confused about the voting process.
National Voter Registration Day is observed on Tuesday, Sept. 16. It is a nationwide movement focused on ensuring everyone who has the ability to vote can vote. The first step is to check on your voter registration. There are quite a few places one can check their voter registration, including your local Supervisor of Elections office. Another way is to visit registration.dos.fl.gov/en/CheckVoterStatus. The website will ask for your first name, last name, and birth date. If you are registered and good to go, the website will tell you that your voter status is active. If your status is active, then there is nothing else to do except show up to your local polling place on election day and vote. However, if your status is indicated as inactive, then there is more that needs to be done.
There are a lot of reasons to register or update one's voter registration. Things such as moving, changing your name, or getting married are all reasons to update your voter registration. There are three ways to register or update your registration: in person, via mail, or register online. First, visit registertovoteflorida.gov and locate the button reading “Register or Update.” Selecting the button will then take you through a three-step simple process.
It will ask the reason for your application, which can be one of three options: “New Registration,” “Record Update/Change,” or “Request to Replace Voter Information Card.” It will also ask if you are a citizen, and if you have the right to vote and the mental capacity to vote. Step two will ask for your personal identification information. You will need your Florida driver's license or Florida identification card issued by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the issued date of your ID card, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. After that, the website will ask you to double-check your information before sending you to the paper application.
For this portion, you will need to provide your political party affiliation if you have one, your legal residential address, your gender, your race, your phone number, and whether you will need help voting or if you are interested in volunteering as a poll worker or election worker. You can even request to be emailed a sample ballot. After that, you will again double-check your information. There will then be one more piece of paperwork to fill out. If you are submitting an application in person, you will be provided a PDF to print and fill out by hand. If you are submitting online, you can fill out the information and submit it online. Either way, you are officially done and ready to vote when election day comes. For more information on the voter's registration process, contact your local Supervisor of Elections office:
The Hamilton County Supervisor of Elections is Laura Hutto. Her office is located at 1153 US Hwy. 41 Nw, Suite 1, in Jasper. She can be contacted via email at elect@hamiltonvotesfl.gov or by calling (386) 792-1426.
The Lafayette County Supervisor of Elections is Travis Hart. His office is located at 120 W Main St., Rm. 210, in Mayo. He can be contacted via email at travis@lafayettevotes.com or by calling (386) 294-1261.
The Suwannee County Supervisor of Elections is Jennifer Kinsey. Her office is located at 302 Pine Ave. SW, in Live Oak. She can be contacted via email at suwanneesoe@suwanneevotes.com or by calling (386) 362-2616.