Duval County voters must request vote-by-mail ballots by 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, for the Nov. 3 general election.

Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland's office is accepting requests by phone and in person, Action News Jax reported. Any registered voter in Duval County, including Mandarin, is eligible.

Requesting a Ballot by Phone

Call 904-255-8683 (904-255-VOTE). The elections office requires a voter's full name, date of birth and current mailing address if it differs from their residential address. Voters must also provide a Florida driver's license number, a Florida identification number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. Callers must specify which elections they want ballots for.

Picking Up a Ballot in Person

Voters can pick up a ballot at the Supervisor of Elections Office, 105 E. Monroe St. in Jacksonville.

Renewal Rules for Ballot Requests

Registered voters may request a ballot for a single election or for all elections through the next general election. Under state law, vote-by-mail requests do not carry over indefinitely and must be renewed after each general election.

Where Ballots Will Be Mailed

Ballots can be mailed to a voter's legal residence, permanent mailing address or a temporary address. The U.S. Postal Service will not forward them.

Holland told News4Jax Thursday, Sept. 10 that his office planned to begin mailing overseas ballots the week of Tuesday, Sept. 15, with domestic ballots going out the following week.

Signature Verification Comes Under Scrutiny

In a June 18 news release ahead of the August primary, Holland urged voters to verify their signatures are up to date before requesting a mail ballot. "Handwriting changes over time, and it's essential that your signature matches the one we have on file with our office," Holland said in the release.

The same verification process applies to the general election. The elections office uses an automated sorter to capture a digital image of each returned ballot's signature, and trained employees verify it manually. If signatures don't match, the office mails a cure affidavit form. The deadline to return that form with identification is 5 p.m. on the second day after the election.

Information for Voters

The Oct. 22 deadline applies to requests for ballots to be mailed. Whether a separate deadline applies to in-person pickups is not stated in the elections office's published materials. More information is available at duvalelections.gov or by calling 904-255-8683.