Cape Coral homeowners receive message ‘ballot was not counted’

With all the controversy surrounding Florida’s election, tensions are running high. Homeowners in Southwest Florida are thinking their votes didn’t count because of sticky notes found on some resident’s doors.

Residents in Cape Coral want to know who is leaving notes on their doors regarding the 2018 midterm election.

“I didn’t know what it was,” Chad Hamann said. “I thought it was local kids selling stuff, and I walk up to it, and it says your vote was not counted.”

Hamann was told he had to file a provisional ballot when he arrived at his polling precinct on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6.

“My registration didn’t go through because of my license status,” Hamann said. “And my military ID wasn’t enough along with my social security number.”

Hamann thought he had provided all the necessary personal identifications to prove his voting eligibility. But someone left a sticky note on the front door of his home Sunday afternoon. It said, “We came by because your ballot was not counted by Lee elections.”

“It’s been very close on all of the candidates,” Hamann said. “But from what I’ve seen, I want to say I’m pleased that most of my candidates I voted for are on the up and up.”

Hamann did not take the note seriously and believed it was a fake sign.

“I called the number, and I didn’t get an answer,” Hamann said. “I didn’t get a voicemail. It said the voicemail was not setup.”

WINK News reached out to local political parties to see what they had to say. The Republican Party was out of the office to observe Veterans Day. The Democratic Party told WINK that provisional ballots fall under public record, so volunteers left similar notes like this throughout Lee County to make people aware something went wrong with their vote.

“Several people said this is normal practice especially for provisional voters, where the volunteers will go out and canvass in the neighborhood,” Hamann said.

WINK previously reported how provisional ballots are processed in the state. The deadline to verify provisional ballots was 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8.

“We try hard to accept every ballot that someone submits because it’s very important,” said Tommy Doyle, Lee County supervisor of elections. “Every vote counts, and we advertise that.”

With the deadline to submit ballots in the past, it has taught Hamann a new lesson.

“Be proactive,” Hamann said. “And follow up as soon as you can and check your front doors on a regular basis.”