Voting in Florida while using a mail service. SBI

[jbrv]

Just wanted to share what we learned today.

Just some background. We were residents of Florida before going full time. Also registered to vote. Sold everything including all property in Florida. We own no properrty anywhere. We use St Brendan Ilse for everything. Even have that addy on our DL.

In the past we coud vote using the addy in clay county (SBI ADDY) after we filed an intent to domicle with the clerk of courts. After all it was the only addy we had to use and we are not residents of any other state or county. No longer the case.

I thought sure we were about to be locked out of being able to vote unless we went through the hassel of estabilishing residence where ever we are currently (odds are that would change by nov elections)

A very informed and nice lady at clay county explained my former county shoud know what to do. Sure enough a call to hillsbourgh county and they were on it. I was not the first person to call and ask how to get it done.

They use the county elections office in the system and use my sbi addy to send me my vote by mail ballot. Yes they know i dont have property in the county, Yes they know SBI is not a "real" address. As long as i did not establish residence somewhere else i can keep voting in my old county.

Just wanted to share for others. Dont wait to late or you might end up not being able to vote in nov. It is prolly a good thing for those in clay county, not fair for them to have so many votes of people who dont live there deciding who represents them in the county/state and fed offices.

I have included a link to a pdf of the advisory opinion that seems to be steering this change. Not sure how this would effect someone who was registered in a different state then used SBI to become a florida resident. a call to clay county or your prev county supivisor of elections might help.


http://dos.myflorida.com/media/699707/de1809.pdf

Mods i know voting could count as political. I made an effort to keep it just about voting and put in general discussion. I figure it is rv related and this is where it belongs. Considered full timers forum also. If it needs to be moved then have at it.

[Old-Biscuit]

When we were FT ....SD Residents we also registered to vote and requested 'absentee ballots'
We only voted in State/Federal Elections......No local elections/measures
WE could have BUT not living there we didn't think it was OUR place to vote on local issues


Voting is a RIGHT that should not be taken lightly

[rk911]

SBI??

[Old-Biscuit]

Originally Posted by rk911

SBI??

St Brendan's Isle Mail Forwarding Service.....domicile address for FT FL residents

[rk911]

thanks.

[momdoc]

WE use SBI and are registered to vote in Clay county (registered 3 years ago) but do not own property there. I read today on their web site that they have hired legal counsel and are working with the county clerk. This will effect thousands of us "nomads" and hinder our right to vote. I do hope it gets straightened out and soon.

[jbrv]

Originally Posted by momdoc

WE use SBI and are registered to vote in Clay county (registered 3 years ago) but do not own property there. I read today on their web site that they have hired legal counsel and are working with the county clerk. This will effect thousands of us "nomads" and hinder our right to vote. I do hope it gets straightened out and soon.

The dealinne for registration is 29 days before the election. Already almost to late to fix for aug 28 primary election.

Clay County supivisor of elections considered the letter i put in the first post to settle it. it was not still open for debate or discussion as to if i could vote in clay county. The answer was no. A very polite but firm no.

You may want to contact yur supivisor of elections of whatever county you voted in before you started using clay county. I was skeptical when i hung up with clay county. I could not see how my old county would be cool with me voting there if i owned no propetry and had no residence or domicile or any other ties to that county. They were not suprised by my situation. Seems they deal with this with the homless and students often enough.

Clay county is not gonna move on this uness a court orders them to and i dont see a court getting anything done soon enough to change it for the midterm elections. I am almost sure the supivisor of elections for clay county is the person who took this issue to the state to get an opinion on this matter from the state. The letter make it clear he did. I suspect the supivisor of elections for clay county wants the customers of SBI off his voter rolls and the state is suportive of that. It wont get changed outside of the courts and i suspct that wont happen before the mid terms.

[johnhicks]

It appears that he's targeting SBI customers, maybe inadvertently, but there's a UPS Store in Clay County and I don't recall that store's customers being mentioned. A UPS Store mailbox is a PMB also.

[aether_one]

Florida's "residency" requirement is so lax you can qualify to be a resident almost anywhere. BUT, since all the county elections offices are tied into a state-wide system you can only be registered to vote in one county.

[jbrv]

Originally Posted by johnhicks

It appears that he's targeting SBI customers, maybe inadvertently, but there's a UPS Store in Clay County and I don't recall that store's customers being mentioned. A UPS Store mailbox is a PMB also.

Agreed, it does look like the clay county supervisor is looking to get SBI users off the county voting rolls and has the support of the sec of state. It wont change unless a court says so cause Gov Scott is gonna support his sec of state.

I think anyone using SBI and voting in clay county fl should look into requesting a vote by mail ballot for the aug 20 primary election and see if it or a letter from the supivisor explaing why they cant vote shows up. I supect anyone registered to vote in that county using sbi will find out they wont be able to vote in that county in aug or nov.

[PandS]

I think this issue WILL be decided in the Court system, and ultimately Clay County and the State of Florida will lose the battle.

A resident of the State of Florida who is not a convicted felon has the right to register as a voter and exercise that right.

Good luck getting the Federal Courts to rule otherwise, which is where this will probably be decided.

On a personal level, we are full-timers who spend substantially more time in Florida than any other State. That's why we chose Florida as our domicile and registered to vote there. Where else would it be more "proper" for us to cast our votes? -Paul

[jbrv]

Originally Posted by tfryman

Florida's "residency" requirement is so lax you can qualify to be a resident almost anywhere. BUT, since all the county elections offices are tied into a state-wide system you can only be registered to vote in one county.

You can register to vote in multiple counties. I was always registered in hillsbourough county then when i used SBI i had to move that registration to clay county, had to pay 10 bucks to clerk of courts of courts to claim domicile in order to register to vote in that county (i considered that a fee to vote, nobody has to pay that 10 bucks to domicle in the county unless you use sbi and want to vote) . I never notified the old county, they never removed me from thier rolls. I can only vote in one of the places but i can be registerd many many places. I could move to different state and register there and would still be registered to vote in clay and and hillsbourgh.

[jbrv]

Originally Posted by PandS

I think this issue WILL be decided in the Court system, and ultimately Clay County and the State of Florida will lose the battle.

A resident of the State of Florida who is not a convicted felon has the right to register as a voter and exercise that right.

Good luck getting the Federal Courts to rule otherwise, which is where this will probably be decided.

On a personal level, we are full-timers who spend substantially more time in Florida than any other State. That's why we chose Florida as our domicile and registered to vote there. Where else would it be more "proper" for us to cast our votes? -Paul

For state residents who just transfer to clay county using sbi the state has a fix in place, I used it, Just contact the old county you were registered in and they should be able to take care of it. my old county was on the ball and knew what to do (i was amazed i called two different county supivisor of elections offices and got a live person right away who knew what to do!!!!)

those who transferd from out of state may have a more difficult processes in fronnt of them. Watch florida say not my problem. Residents from other countiees in florida are good to go, the problem is with the state they came from that wont let them vote there. Thats how florida will argue if you ask me.

In the meantime midterms will be long since done. It is all about that senate seat the gov wants.

[momdoc]

"those who transferd from out of state may have a more difficult processes in fronnt of them. Watch florida say not my problem"


What if you transferred you residency from another country and are using SBI as your address like we did?????