CLAY COUNTY – Voting is so easy it can be impulsive.

Imagine driving through the county and seeing an Early Voting Site sign. Then it hits you. Why not? You pull in, complete your civic duty and drive away a few minutes later.

It really is that simple.

“If you think back to when we first became voters, you were relegated to vote on Election Day,” said Clay County Supervisor of Elections Chris Chambless. “When I say relegated, I think about the individual that lives in Clay Hill and works in Talleyrand (near the docks in Jacksonville.) OK, so the individual works from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., a 12-hour shift. The individual leaves to make it to Talleyrand probably about 4:45 a.m. at the latest, and then they leave their job at 6 o’clock, and they get home about 7:15 (p.m.), 7:30. Well, that individual that lived in Clay Hill couldn’t vote on Election Day.”

That’s no longer the case. Part of Florida’s election reform in 2002 was creating the option of early voting, which essentially is “in-person absentee voting.”

In the 2020 General Election, Clay County voters clearly took advantage of not waiting for Election Day to cast their ballot. Of the 125,056 that voted, 66,047 voted early, and 34,561 voted by mail, while 24,448 – 19.5% – voted on Election Day.

As of Wednesday, July 31, 11,897 vote-by-mail ballots for Aug. 20 Primary Elections have been requested in Clay County, according to the Florida Division of Elections. Early voting for the Primary is from Aug. 8 through Aug. 17.

The only requirement to vote early, Chambless said, is you must be registered in Florida at least 29 days before the polls open. Unlike Election Day on Nov. 5, you can vote at any of the early voting sites in the county. On Election Day, you can only vote at your designated polling location. If you’re not sure where to find yours, visit clayelections.com.

You can also visit clayelections.com to see the estimated wait times for early voting and Elections Day voting at each precinct.

Another requirement is proof of identification, which includes a driver’s license, passport, Florida ID card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, debit or credit card, military ID, student ID, retirement center ID, neighborhood center ID, public assistance ID, veteran health ID issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, license to carry a concealed weapon or employee ID issued by any branch of the federal government.

If the photo identification doesn’t have a signature, the voter can provide a second ID with a signature and no photo.

The state now has a databank that keeps a tally of votes, so if anyone casts a ballot in Duval County and then tries to vote again in Clay minutes later, it will be rejected, Chambless said.

“What happens if you voted last week in Duval County? That’s why Florida created a statewide voter registration database that allows us to move easily from county to county. However, it restricts the activity to a one-and-done once you voted, whether you voted by mail or early or voted on Election Day,” he said. “That’s your only chance at bat. You don’t have an opportunity to get another ballot. And that’s one of the things that’s also a security benefit.”

If you attempt to vote and a precinct worker informs you a ballot has already been cast in your name, you may be given a provisional ballot, Chambless said. From there, a canvassing board will examine both votes and if it’s deemed an innocent mistake, one will be voided. It will be turned over to the State Attorney’s Office if it’s something more nefarious to ensure every vote counts.