ORLANDO, Fla. — The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot has now passed, and the Orange County Supervisor of Elections says there are already more vote-by-mail ballots returned for the August 18 primary than there were returned total for 2016’s primary.

More than 200,000 people have requested a vote-by-mail ballot be mailed to them for this primary election in Orange County.

Ken Peplow and his wife are two of them — they’re regulars.

“It’s been like 10 years, at least,” Peplow said.

After 10 years of voting remotely, they made sure this election was no exception.

“You don’t have any justification to complain about the way things are, unless you do something,” Peplow said. “In our system, which is a great system, voting is the way to do it.”

The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot was Saturday evening, but the Orange County Supervisor of Elections says don’t let that deter you.

Voting by mail gives you the advantage of casting a ballot without having to leave your house. But if you missed the deadline, and you don’t feel comfortable coming to vote in person on Election Day, you do have a couple other options.

• You can vote early at any early voting location, and likely avoid crowds and lines.
• You can also come in and request to take home a ballot, as long as you drop it off by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

And if you still want to avoid the polls entirely, you can send a designee down with a written request authorizing them to pick up the ballot for you.

Cowles says any way you choose to do it, the local positions you’ll see on this ballot are important to voice your vote on.

“The August 18 primary election is really about voting for your local leaders who are going to help shape this community in the years to come,” Cowles said.

You can also check your voting status online at the Supervisor of Elections website, to see if the office has received your ballot.