Duval County Supervisor of Elections Urges Voters to Update their Signature

JACKSONVILLE – Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland is reminding voters that handwriting changes over time, and it’s essential that your signature matches the one we have on file with our office. It’s especially important for those who plan to vote-by-mail (VBM) in the upcoming August 20th Primary Election and November 5th General Election.

All Duval County Supervisor of Elections staff and Canvassing Board members undergo state-certified signature verification training. including how to detect forgeries and inconsistencies in signatures, to make certain that VBM ballots are legitimately signed by the voter.

If you need to update your signature for the upcoming elections, your signature update needs to be received by the Supervisor of Elections before your VBM ballot is received. The Florida Voter Registration Application is available on our website or at any public library, and may be submitted in person or by mail. We follow the proper chain of custody procedures on all ballots, especially VBM ballots.

Returned VBM ballots remain sealed until the signature is validated. An automated sorter scans and takes a digital image of the signature on the VBM ballot for verification. Then, trained Duval County employees manually verify the signature on each VBM ballot. If the signatures match, the VBM ballot will be opened and counted.

If the signatures do not match, a VBM cure affidavit form is mailed to the voter with specific instructions on how to cure the discrepancy. The deadline to submit the form and ID is no later than 5 p.m. the second day after the election..

The Canvassing Board makes the final decision on VBM ballot signature discrepancies and whether to accept or reject the ballot after the cure deadline passes. If you have any questions, visit duvalelections.gov or call 904-255-VOTE (8683).