I will keep checking back with this website until I see that my ballot has been counted and not put aside as provisional for some reason. If it has been, I’ll be sure to rectify the problem.
This morning I called the Supervisor of Elections’ Office at (239) 252-VOTE to ask what “being processed” meant. I was told it was nothing to worry about; that if anything had been wrong, I would have been sent a letter telling me so.
If you, too, see that your ballot was received and is being processed, then apparently all is well.
I will check back on Election Day to make sure the website says that my ballot was counted.
Also, a reader pointed out that I used the word “provisional” incorrectly in the post. According to Florida law, a provisional ballot is one that is voted by
“…a voter claiming to be properly registered in the state and eligible to vote at the precinct in the election but whose eligibility cannot be determined, a person whom an election official asserts is not eligible, and other persons specified in the [election] code…”
The important thing to know about provisional ballots is that if you are told by an election worker that you cannot vote, and if, after hearing the reason, you still believe that you are, you may request and comple a provisional ballot. You should then be given written instructions about how to provide the supervisor of elections with written evidence of your eligibility to vote. The county canvassing board will later examine each case and determine whether the provisional ballot shall be counted or not, under the law.
I have revised Where are Collier’s Democratic Party and No Party Affiliation Voters? on the Sparker’s Soapbox website to clarify these points.
Bottom line: If you have any questions about the status of your mail ballot, don’t hesitate to contact the Supervisor of Elections at (239) 252-VOTE.