May 14th

City of Clermont Special Election
City Council Seat 2
Qualified Candidates:

Tod Howard
Otis Taylor Jr.

 


Voter Confidence Excellent Service Accurate and Efficient Elections Responsible Financial Stewardship
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A Message from Alan Hays

Lake County's Supervisor of Elections

In today’s world of 24-hour news cycles, social media, and the ever-present rumor mill, many false statements are being made about the actions of elections administrators and processes. People who have absolutely NO experience whatsoever in elections administration are making and have made statements that are patently false. Many other statements that are misleading and only partially true have undermined the confidence of the voters unfairly. It is our hope that by reading the following FACTS, you will know the truth about elections administered in Florida.

  1. In 2000, the Florida elections community was the laughingstock of the world. In the 2018, 2020, and 2022 elections, Florida was the model for the nation in successful elections administration.

  2. This status of being the nation’s model occurred only by the diligent work of many Supervisors of Elections (SOE) and their devoted teams. In cooperation with the Legislature and the Secretary of State, the elections professionals of Florida rose to the challenge and excelled.

  3. The Supervisor of Elections and the team of workers are regulated very closely by Florida Statutes and rules promulgated by the Division of Elections in Tallahassee. Most of the work we do is dictated by those statutes and rules.

  4. All votes cast in Florida are on paper ballots. Those ballots are retained for 22 months after each election then shredded.

  5. All counties must use electronic tabulation systems that have been certified by the Bureau of Standards of the Division of Elections in Tallahassee. NONE of the tabulation machines are ever connected to the internet.

  6. The election night transmission of UNOFFICIAL results to the SOE offices does NOT use the internet. That data is transmitted via a system that resembles an interstate highway with no exits and no entry ramps.

  7. The tabulation data is stored on memory sticks that are returned to the SOE office on election night. That data is downloaded the next day and compared to the transmitted data of the previous evening to confirm its accuracy.

  8. Many counties, (Lake is one) have a separate verification system into which every voted ballot is scanned. The totals of this second system are compared with those of the tabulation system. This enables us to audit the entire election instead of the previous practice of auditing only one contest in a few precincts.

  9. There are three well-proven ways to vote in Florida:  Vote-by-Mail (VBM), Early Voting in person, and Election Day in person. Each of those are significantly controlled by Florida Statutes.

  10. The SOE does have some control of the number of days and the hours of Early Voting but everything else is by statute.

  11. Vote-by-Mail ballots are mailed ONLY to those voters who have requested to receive one. EVERY returned ballot MUST be in a separate envelope and the envelope must be signed by the voter whose name is printed on the envelope.

  12. EVERY envelope signature is checked through a combination of technology and trained personnel to validate the signature on the envelope compared to the signature on file in that voter’s record.

  13. If the envelope signature does not match the signature on file, the voter is notified of the issue and informed of the process and the deadline to rectify the problem.

  14. Each person requesting a VBM ballot has an opportunity to enroll in the BallotTrax program that notifies them quickly if there is an issue with their signature. In addition to the signature notification, the same system notifies the voter when the ballot has been mailed, when it has been received by our office, and when the ballot is counted.

  15. The selection of the polling sites for Early Voting and Election Day voting is again, controlled by statute. Each site must meet specific criteria. We are allowed only one Early Voting site that is not owned by a governmental agency.

  16. No voted ballots are ever left in a polling site overnight. Every voted ballot is returned to our office that evening.

  17. Those ballots are under a strict chain of custody record and are always carried by at least two people.

  18. Transparency and accountability are standard operating procedures for our team. In the design of our building, we intentionally placed in the internal walls, more than 144 square feet of windows so people can observe the actions in each room. This is supplemented with video feeds of various ballot processes (ballot opening, duplication, adjudication, and storage).

  19. Our website has offered tours of our building two days each week for the last 5 years.

  20. We have invested significantly more than $100,000 into enhanced cybersecurity measures and all our systems are monitored at all times.

  21. All staff members undergo background checks, are engaged in continual training, and are encouraged to pursue professional development.

Many counties, (Lake is one) have a separate verification system into which every voted ballot is scanned. The totals of this second system are compared with those of the tabulation system. This enables us to audit the entire election instead of the previous practice of auditing only one contest in a few precincts.

These are the FACTS. I and my staff are proud to serve our community as elections professionals. Please feel welcome to contact my office should you have questions or to schedule a facility tour. We want you to have confidence in us and in the elections processes. Thank you for the priviledge of serving as your Supervisor of Elections.

 

Election Night Results

 

             

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  • Lake County Supervisor of Elections Open House
    4/13/2024 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

    Lake County Supervisor of Elections Open House

    Alan Hays, your Lake County Supervisor of Elections (SOE) invites community members to an open house event at the SOE facility located at 1898 E. Burleigh Blvd., Tavares on April 13th from 10am-3pm.

    This behind-the-scenes experience will include a tour of the SOE facility and the opportunity to hear first-hand from our team of Florida Certified Election professionals. Uncover the facts and processes behind elections administration in Lake County.

    Questions may be directed to voteroutreach@lakevotes.gov.

     

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News
Admin
/ Categories: News Release

Lake County Supervisor of Elections Sends First Mailing of Vote-By-Mail Ballots for the 2020 Primary Election

For Immediate Release
July 10, 2020

Tavares, FL - The Lake County Supervisor of Elections office sent its first mailing of requested Vote-by-Mail ballots to domestic voters yesterday, July 9, for the upcoming Primary Election.

“By the end of today, we will have mailed out over 35,000 ballots and will be mailing them daily through August 10th,” commented Lake County Supervisor, Alan Hays. Voters must have their request in for a Vote-by-Mail ballot by 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 8th to be included in these mailings. Voters may submit requests online at www.LakeVotes.com under the “Vote-by-Mail” tab. Requests can also be made by calling the Supervisor of Elections office at 352.343.9734. By law, ballots cannot be forwarded.

Voters are encouraged to allow plenty of mailing time for their ballot to be received (not just postmarked) in the Supervisor of Elections Office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, August 18. Postage is paid to return via mail. Voted ballots may also be dropped off at any early voting location between August 6 and August 15 (between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.). Voted ballots may also be deposited in the secure drop box located outside the elections office at 1898 E. Burleigh Blvd in Tavares until 7 p.m. on Election Day.

The voter’s signature is required on the outside of the ballot return envelope. The signature on the returned ballot envelope will be compared to the signature on file with the Supervisor of Elections office. Voters can learn more about updating their signature by contacting our office at 352.343.9734. Voters are encouraged to provide email address and cell numbers for contact if a missing or mismatch signature occurs.

Voters who receive a ballot in the mail and decide to vote in person should bring their marked or unmarked ballot to their polling location so it can be cancelled.

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