Since March of 2020, COVID-19 and voter safety at the polls has been a major concern for Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections, Paul Lux.

For the November 3 General Election, things will look a little different to voters going to the polls. The Supervisor of Elections has decided to utilize single-use secrecy sleeves in the polling places.

These sleeves are the paper folders used as privacy shields for voters’ ballots between check-in, voting, and the ballot box.

“Sanitation, and the health and safety of voters and poll workers, spurred the decision to change to the single-use secrecy sleeves,” said Paul Lux. “They will help lessen the number of items touched that subsequently need disinfecting.”

To help offset the waste impact of these single-use paper folders, the Supervisor of Elections Office and the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners have collaborated on a “Secrecy Sleeve Recycling Program” to be in place at all Early Voting and Election Day polling sites.

For voters, this means that you will find labeled recycling boxes, next to the ballot box, to place the secrecy sleeves into after they have voted.

Following the election, these sleeves will be recycled with support from the Board of County Commissioners Recycling Program. Paper ballots will not be recycled and will be maintained according to the Florida Department of State Election Records Retention Schedule GS3.