Sarasota County voters can cast a provisional ballot if they don’t bring an acceptable form of identification to their polling location.

The voter’s signature on the provisional ballot will be compared to the one on file with the election’s office. If the signatures don’t match, the voter can submit a provisional ballot cure affidavit, or a form allowing voters to provide other proof of identification including utility bills or a photocopy of their ID.

The form must be turned into the elections office by 5 p.m. on the second day following the election.

Voters can still cast ballots without an ID, but it’s not guaranteed to be counted.

Across the country, 36 states have laws requesting or requiring voter identification. Of those, 14 are “strict,” requiring a voter to present ID. The remaining 22 are “non-strict,” allowing voters without ID to cast a provisional ballot.

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Sources

• Supervisor of Elections Election Day Voting
• National Conference of State Legislatures Voter ID Laws