Good afternoon St. Johns County Voters,

I hope this first newsletter of 2023 finds you happy, healthy, and enjoying a prosperous new year. While there are no elections scheduled for this year, we are busy at the Supervisor of Elections Office with technology upgrades, registered voter list maintenance, and educational outreach. As next year will be a busy with three elections, we are utilizing this time to ensure all of our process are the most efficient and effective possible, our equipment is up-to-date, and our staff is prepared for a busy 2024.

You may also see us in public a little more often as we are recruiting poll workers and conducting extensive voter education programs. Feel free to reach out to our office if you have any questions or need assistance with any election-related topic and please stop and say hi if you see us at a school, library, or festival!

Sincerely,

Vicky Oakes

St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections

New legislation can often be costly and difficult to navigate, but we are excited about a new state law regarding voter registration lists. Under Florida law, a voter registration list maintenance program must now be conducted by each supervisor once a year, and it must be completed 90 days before the date of any federal election.

At the St Johns County Supervisor of Elections office, our list maintenance program already exceeds the state requirement because the integrity of our voter registration list is a high priority. We conduct list maintenance activities numerous times throughout the year to keep St. Johns County voter rolls as accurate as possible. We also compare our rolls to the Post Office's National Change of Address list to ensure we are up to date. As a result of our 2022 our list maintenance program:

·      3,241 Address Confirmation Requests were sent.

·      8,365 Address Change Notices were sent.

·      8,537 Address Confirmation Final Notices were sent. Of which, 886 registered voters responded.

·      4,655 Registered voters were placed on Inactive status.

·      4,547 Inactive registered voters were removed from the Florida Voter Registration System.

Additionally, list maintenance is a daily process as the Supervisor of Elections receives mail returned undeliverable from the Post Office or receives updates from third-party sources such as the U.S. Postal Service, Jury Notice lists from the St. Johns County Clerk of Courts, and Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles driver license lists. List maintenance is also conducted when the Supervisor of Elections is notified that a voter is deceased, has moved out of state, was convicted of a felony, was adjudicated mentally incapacitated, is not a U.S. citizen, registers at an invalid address, or a voter request to be removed from the voter registration system.

The new law also requires that address list maintenance forms be mailed to voters include the Address Confirmation Request, the Address Change Notice, and the Address Confirmation Final Notice. Failure to respond to a final notice may result in a change to a voter's status to inactive. Inactive status cancels all future mailings of election notices, sample ballots, and previously requested vote-by-mail ballots. Permanent removal occurs when inactive voters do not provide response to the Supervisor of Elections Office and do not vote over the next two federal general elections.

All list maintenance activities are tracked and submitted to the Division of Elections twice a year. On January 31 and July 31, the Supervisor of Elections is required to certify the list maintenance activities conducted during the six months prior. The credibility of our elections rests upon the integrity of our voter registration lists and we are committed to ensuring they are as accurate as possible on behalf of every St. Johns county resident. 

The Supervisor of Elections Office Voter Outreach Team returned to conducting voter education programs in St. Johns County high schools this month with the goal of visiting every high school by the end of the school year! Our program is redesigned each year with a fresh, relevant message that provides important information about registering to vote, the three ways to vote, upcoming election dates, and poll worker requirements.

Our goal is to motivate students to use their voice and teach them the power of one vote. During the program, students learn that one vote can and has made a difference as they learn about many elections through the years where one vote has changed history. We also convey the messages that your vote is your voice, choosing not to vote is allowing someone else to speak for you, and voting is one of the most powerful way to have a positive impact on your community. We look forward to seeing and interacting with students all over the county again throughout 2023! 

Have you ever wondered how elections are conducted in St. Johns County? Interested in having your questions answered by Elections Office staff? The St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections Office is excited to announce we have re-opened our office for public tours in 2023! Visit votesjc.gov/office-tours to view current tour availability and secure your spot in one of our interesting, informational office tours!

Did you know that all vote-by-mail requests expired after the 2022 General Election? Under Florida law, vote-by-mail requests are valid through the end of the calendar year of the next regularly scheduled general election. That means even if you voted in the 2022 elections by mail, you still need to fill out a new request for the 2024 elections. To request a ballot, or find more information on voting-by-mail visit votesjc.gov/vote-by-mail

St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections

4455 Avenue A #101 • St. Augustine, FL 32095 | 904-823-2238