By St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections Vicky Oakes

Staff at the Elections Office have completed the project of redrawing precinct lines due to the redistricting process. The next step, as required by law, is for the Supervisor of Elections to request that the new precinct lines be approved by the Board of County Commissioners. I’m scheduled to appear before the Commission during the May 3 regular board meeting to request that approval. Once the board votes to approve our new precinct lines, they will be effective immediately and we will release the new precinct maps to the media, on our website, and on social media. 

New precinct lines will also drive the need to update the list of 2022 polling places. We hope to have those confirmed by May 3 so we can release them along with the new precinct lines. In addition, we anticipate mailing new voter information cards to all registered voters in early June; however, a court decision regarding Florida’s congressional districts must be made before the database of new districts can be completed and the mailing of voter information cards can occur. Additionally, the voter lookup tool on our website will not be updated with new districts, precincts, and polling places until congressional districts are finalized. 

We will notify voters when the new voter information cards are going in the mail and the new information is available on our website for viewing. Updated voter information cards will reflect the new districts, precincts, and election day polling places. All voters are advised to review their new voter information cards carefully as many precincts and election day polling places have changed. It’s also very important to keep your address up-to-date with the Elections Office. Voter information cards are sent as “return service requested,” which means if you move and have your mail forwarded, your card will not be sent to your new address — it will be returned to the Elections Office. Returned voter information cards with associated forwarding addresses provided by USPS are processed in this manner:

  • Address change within St. Johns County: Your address is updated and a new voter information card is sent to your new address.
  • Address changes within the State of Florida: Your voter registration record and new address are sent to the county elections office for your new residence. Your record will be updated and you will receive a voter information card from the Elections Office in your new county notifying you of your district, precinct, and polling place.
  • Address changes outside the State of Florida: Your voter record will be updated with the out-of-state address as your mailing address. You will be sent a list maintenance notice following the election requesting your record be updated which you can use to cancel your Florida Voter registration or provide the correct information.
  • Notice returned as undeliverable with no address provided: Voter is sent a list maintenance card following the election which the voter can use to cancel or provide correct information.

Any first class mail returned to the Elections Office as undeliverable by the Post Office will result in the cancellation of any preexisting vote-by-mail ballot request. You must reapply if you wish to continue voting by mail. 

Readers can contact me at the office by calling (904) 823-2238 or emailing me at voakes@votesjc.gov. Our website also has a wealth of information and a signup form for our newsletter at votesjc.gov.

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