Collier Supervisor of Elections says 108,000+ mail-in voting ballots requested so far

The Supervisor of Elections Office says that compares to the roughly 67,000 requested back in 2016.

Fox 4 spoke with the office about election security and increased staff training for this year.

(ADLIB TOSS)(ADLIB TOSTODAY... ELECTION LEADERS INCOLLIER COUNTY ARE GOING TO ASTO START COUNTING *YOUR MAIL-INBALLOTS *EARLIER THAN EVERBEFORE.ELECTION STAFF SAY ALREADY HAVEA LOT OF BALLOTS... AND AREEXPECTING UNPRECEDENTED NUMBERSTO COME IN.NEW THIS MORNING..

AND ONLY ONFOX 4... JESSICA ALPERN GOT ANINTERVIEW WITH THE SUPERVISOR OFELECTIONS OFFICE ABOUT THELECTION SECURITY SAFEGUARDSTHEY HAVE IN PLACE.THE OFFICE SAYS IT’S ALREADY HADROBUST SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE WHENIT COMES TO THINGS LIKESIGNATURE VERIFICATION.BUT THEY ARE RAMPING UP STAFFINGAND TRAINING FOR THIS ELECTION.THAT’S BECAUSE THE OFFICE TELLSME IT’S ALREADY SENT THE MOSTBALLOTS THIS YEAR THAN EVERBEFORTHAT NUMBER IS OVER 108-THOUSAAND GROWING.WHICH COMPARES TO THE ROUGHLY67-THOUSAND REQUESTED IN 2016.Different this year because weare seeing a lot more of thoseballots come in is we’veincreased our staffing andtraining when it comes tosignature verification.BUTT3:00Our staff is required to attena workshop to learn aboutprocessing those signatures andhow to review themTHERE HAVE ALSO BEEN CONCERNSWHEN IT COMES TO SECURELYGETTING YOUR BALLOT BACK TO THEELECTIONS OFFICE.IF YOU ARE RETURNING BY MAIL,THERE IS A SPECIFIC WINDOW YOUNEED TO KEEP IN MINDWe know a lot of people areconcerned about getting theirballots back to us.

Number one,we have no seen issues with theUS postal service.BUTT3:Their recommendation has alwaybeen you should return your voteby mail ballot by mail at leas7-10 days prior to election day.IF YOU CAN’T DO SO WITHIN THATWINDOW THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS.INCLUDING THE NEW DROP BOXWHICH WILL BE AT THE ELECTIONSOFFICE HEADQUARTERS OR THE NORTHCOLLIER GOVERNMENT C