Nassau County voters who want to cast a mail ballot in the Tuesday, Nov. 3, general election must request one by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22.

The deadline is separate from the Oct. 5 voter registration cutoff. Voters who are already registered but prefer to vote from home face a different clock.

The Nassau County Supervisor of Elections office posted the reminder on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Requests can be made online at votenassaufl.gov, by phone at (904) 491-7500, by email, by mail or in person at the elections office, 96135 Nassau Place, Suite 3, in Yulee.

Under Florida law, vote-by-mail requests must reach the elections office no later than 5 p.m. on the 12th day before an election. For the Nov. 3 general election, that lands on Oct. 22.

Ballots go out 40 days before the election, according to the elections office website. The U.S. Postal Service cannot forward a mail ballot, so voters need to confirm the elections office has their correct mailing address before requesting one. A wrong address means no ballot.

Completed ballots must arrive at the elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. The Postal Service recommends mailing ballots at least one week before that date to ensure they arrive on time.

Supervisor of Elections Janet H. Adkins has also urged mail-ballot voters to keep their signatures current. In a May interview with the Fernandina Observer, Adkins said her office checks every returned envelope: "We will compare that signature on the envelope with what's on your voter registration application." Voters can update their signature by filing a new voter registration form through the elections office.

Nassau County had 80,938 registered voters as of the Aug. 18 primary, according to Nassau NewsLine. The current total was not available.

Early voting runs Oct. 22 through Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, according to the elections office. Voters who miss the mail-ballot request deadline can still cast a ballot in person during that window or on Election Day, Nov. 3.