While Election Day is just weeks away, communities across the Greater Tampa Bay region are still overcoming challenges in rebuilding from Hurricane Helene and Milton.
Power outages and coastal surges are just some of the difficulties faced by voting facilities. Despite tremendous impacts from both hurricanes, four out of five offices are open and well-staffed to serve voters as of Monday, Oct. 14.
“If they've relocated and want to get a vote-by-mail ballot, call our office at 813-744-5900 if you're a Hillsborough County voter, and we will help walk you through the process so that we can get that vote-by-mail ballot to you,” Latimer said.
Find temporary distribution sites
What if your home was badly damaged by a storm, or if you’re in an area that is not receiving mail?
“The post office is setting up temporary distribution sites, so they may be giving you your mail out of a big mail truck. Find out where that is in your community,” Latimer said.
"If somebody had ordered a vote-by-mail ballot, and now they're not in that home anymore, their mailbox isn't standing, call our office. We can send another ballot to a different address. We'll cancel the first one, and we can send it to another address where you might be relocated to.”
Early voting in Hillsborough county
With 27 sites open, and one in the process of relocation due to hurricane impacts, here’s how to find the site closest to you.
“Go to the votehillsborough.gov website. You can click on the link for early voting. It'll tell you where all those sites are,” Latimer said.
Accommodations in the aftermath of hurricanes
While the voter registration deadline was not extended, certain policies have been adjusted in response to severe storms.
As elections offices struggle to find additional workers, with some unavailable as they focus on rebuilding at home, policies have been adjusted accordingly.
“Previously, to work the polls, you had to be a registered voter in your county. The governor issued an executive order that basically says they've lifted that now,” said Latimer.
Other counties can send people in. They are encouraging state workers to work the polls, too. You may get a state worker that lives in Hillsborough County or works in Hillsborough County but lives someplace else and may want to work in Pinellas County, so there's a lot of latitude there to work with.”
“If a site qualified to be an early vote site, which would be most government buildings, then you could also have a secure ballot intake station at that site,” Latimer said. “That will be helpful for some of the coastal counties that may have lost those sites along the beaches there.”
Rising to the challenge
“We do plan for contingencies and other ways that we can do stuff. Our association is working with the governor's office to see what other latitude might be available for some of the counties that were harder hit, that might have less options of early vote sites or election day sites,” Latimer said.
Since hurricane season is not yet over, Latimer encourages people to stay ahead.
“Take advantage of early voting, come into our office, get an over-the-counter ballot, or get a vote-by-mail ballot, and get that ballot in so that your voice is heard,” Latimer said.
"Don't wait till election day.”
