Orange County mail ballot requests down from past midterms

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Monday is the final day for Orange County residents to register to vote in the Nov. 3 general election, the first of several deadlines as Election Day approaches.

More than 50 people registered to vote at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office on the final day. Voters can still register on Oct. 5 until midnight online.

The deadline comes as election officials are also processing mail ballots. Several voters have already returned mail ballots in person after ballots were sent out a few weeks ago.

Orange County Supervisor of Elections Karen Castor Dentel said more voters have been bringing mail ballots directly to the office this year.

“Like 100 people a day have been coming to our office saying, ‘We are not sure, we don’t want to take a chance with the mail,’” Castor Dentel said.

The Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office sent out 105,000 mail ballots in its initial wave this year. That is down from 192,000 in the 2022 midterm election and 146,000 in 2018. Castor Dentel said the lower number could be connected to a state law requiring voters to renew their vote-by-mail ballot requests each year instead of every four years.

Voters have until Oct. 22 to request a mail-in ballot for this election. As requests come in, ballots are sent out. Voters can also sign up for BallotTrax, a free service that lets them track when their ballot is sent and received.

“It is a great service, it just gives you some peace of mind,” Castor Dentel said.

For registered voters who did not request a mail-in ballot, sample ballots will be mailed on Friday. Castor Dentel said voters should begin seeing them this weekend or next week. The sample ballot is double-sided, and election officials are reminding voters to review both sides.

The League of Women Voters in Orange County, a nonpartisan organization, has held nearly 80 events to help voters register and stay informed ahead of the election.

“We really want people to know what is going on,” said Kathy Schmitz, co-president of the League of Women Voters Orange County.

Schmitz said the group is also focusing on precincts with historically low turnout.

“We are targeting this year a couple of the low-turnout precincts to see what works to get out those people who have not generally been getting out,” Schmitz said.