The Osceola County Supervisor of Elections Office held its first canvassing board meeting on Wednesday to process over 9,000 mail-in ballots already received for the August 20 Primary Election. This crucial step, which is open to the public via a viewing room next to the canvassing board area, ensures the integrity and accuracy of the election process. As of Wednesday, 1,016 ballots have been cast during Early Voting. Early voting began on Monday at 9AM and will continue until August 18th, open 9AM-6PM each day at nine locations around Osceola County.
What is Canvassing?
Canvassing mail-in ballots is a critical process overseen by the Supervisor of Elections to ensure the integrity and accuracy of election results. Here’s a breakdown of what this entails:
- Receipt and Verification: The Supervisor of Elections receives mail-in ballots from voters. Each ballot is checked to ensure it meets the required criteria, such as a valid signature.
- Public Canvassing Board Meeting: The canvassing process is conducted by a Canvassing Board, which includes the Supervisor of Elections, a county court judge, and the chair of the county board of commissioners. This board meets publicly to ensure transparency in the process.
- Vote-by-Mail Ballots Processing: The Canvassing Board publicly processes vote-by-mail ballots, including opening the ballots, verifying voter signatures, and ensuring compliance with state laws.
- Provisional Ballots: The Canvassing Board reviews provisional ballots to determine their validity based on voter eligibility verification.
- Certification: After all valid ballots are processed and counted, the Canvassing Board certifies the election results, formally declaring that the election was conducted properly and the results are accurate.
Mary Jane Arrington, the Supervisor of Elections, emphasized the importance of this process: “Canvassing mail-in ballots is essential to maintaining voter confidence in our elections. We are committed to ensuring that every valid vote is counted accurately and transparently. We do it right in Florida!”
Canvassing Board Members and Duties
The Canvassing Board Members for the 2024 Primary Election and the 2024 General Election are:
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- Judge Stefania Jancewicz – County Judge, Chair
- Judge Celia Thacker Dorn – County Judge, Alternate
- Judge Juna Pulayya – County Judge, Alternate
- Bob Hansell – Citizen Representative, Substitute for the Supervisor of Elections
- Chuck Dunnick – Citizen Representative, Substitute for the County Commission
- Keith Trace – Alternate for the County Commission
The Canvassing Board’s duties include conducting public testing of voting equipment, canvassing all vote-by-mail and provisional ballots, verifying the accuracy and validity of all votes cast, ordering recounts if necessary, submitting the official returns to the State of Florida, and performing a mandatory manual audit after the official certification of the election, as required by FS 102.141.
Upcoming Canvassing Board Meetings
The Canvassing Board will meet again on August 12 and 15 to canvass and duplicate vote-by-mail ballots and scan early voting ballots into the Independent Audit System. On August 19, the day after early voting ends and the day before the primary election, the board will canvass and duplicate vote-by-mail ballots, scan early voting ballots into the Independent Audit System, and upload early voting results. On Primary Election Day, the board will continue these tasks and tabulate Election Day results.
Deadline for Mail-In Ballot Requests
Voters can still request a mail-in ballot, but the deadline is today, Thursday, August 8, 2024. Ensure your voice is heard by participating in this critical election process. If you have a mail-in ballot, and haven’t sent it in yet, you must do so soon. Your mail-in ballot must arrive at the Supervisor of Elections Office prior to 7pm August 20, 2024. If primary election day arrives and you still haven’t mailed it in, take it to your actual polling place where they will trade the mail-in ballot for an election day ballot.
By following these procedures, the Supervisor of Elections ensures that the election results reflect the will of the voters accurately and transparently.
