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In order to vote by mail you first need to get a ballot. The only way to get a ballot, so that you can vote by mail, is to request that your ballot be mailed to you. There’s a couple ways to have a ballot mailed to you, ways to officially request one. A particular method to request one might make more sense to you depending on your comfort filling out online forms, whether you have a printer or not, or whether you can afford to wait.
Here’s the pros and cons of the two most popular ways you can request a ballot:
Downloading and Printing the Mail-In Form
This method involves using the Vote By Mail Instructions, basically:
- Click on the Vote By Mail Request Form Download. That will download a PDF file containing the form needed.
- Print that form.
- Fill it out and make sure you sign it.
- Mail it into the location on the back.
- The Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections will mail you ballot back to you.
- You’ll then need to complete the ballot and follow the instructions to return it in order to have your vote counted.
PROS: This method allows people who don’t feel comfortable having their ballot request handled through the Internet a little more confidence using traditional snail mail. It avoids having to fill out online forms where you have to prove you’re not a robot with sections called CAPTCHAs.
CONS: This method requires that people have a printer. It requires a stamp. It involves one extra step that depends on the speed of traditional snail mail: the step where the ballot request leaves your mailbox and is sent to the Elections Supervisor. There are special caveats for how many ballots can be requested at once, who can request them and the conditions where they can be requested. Refer to the Vote By Mail Instructions for all the details.
Request the Ballot via an Online Form
This method involves these steps:
- Fill out this online form.
- The Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections will mail you ballot back to you.
- You’ll then need to complete the ballot and follow the instructions to return it in order to have your vote counted.
PROS: This method requires no printer. The ballot request is received instantly without delay. No stamp is required. If you can type this method takes far less time than printing out a ballot request and sending it in.
CONS: You have to prove you’re not a robot by recognizing numbers out of an image, a CAPTCHA, but if you’ve filled out other online forms you’re most likely familiar with this.
Choose whichever way works best for you.
Would like to vote by email
How do I get the ballot?
Hi Judy,
I don’t think there is a way to vote by email yet. Based on the Palm Beach County Elections site, all the methods to vote involve getting a physical ballot mailed to you. If there is some way to use email to vote please let us know.
Probably too late for this comment but,
1. The full form is the ONLY way for out of state Boca residents to get a ballot. It must be filled out entirely AND SIGNED by the voter. It MUST be mailed back as emails are not accepted. PBC Voter Registration does their very best to get ballots to out of state voters.
2. The second method suggested DOES NOT get you a ballot it ONLY tells you your status. The captcha code is a no brainer usually with 3 numbers.
I did send in a copy of the full ballot several weeks ago. It is being published late and with some false information.
I hope YOU still find a way to VOTE…..it’s important for all of us.