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Florida Re-Request your Ballot

Due to changes in the law, all Florida voters who vote by mail must submit a NEW mail ballot request to their county Supervisor of Elections. Request your mail in ballot today!

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Florida Voting Information

Absentee Ballot Process

Vote-by-Mail (previously known as Absentee Voting) is available and no excuse is required. The last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot is 5pm, 10 days before the election. You can return your absentee ballot request form through the mail or in person. Voted ballots must be received by 7pm on Election Day in order to be counted. You can sign up to track your absentee ballot on your Department of State website. Contact your local elections office for more information. Absentee ballots begin being counted on Election Day.

Requesting and Returning your Vote-by-Mail Ballot

To request a vote-by-mail ballot, you can fill out the online application on your county Supervisors of Elections' website. You can also request a ballot in writing through the Supervisor of Elections, in person at the Supervisor of Elections or by telephone to the Supervisor of Elections.

All requests for a vote-by-mail ballot must be made no later than 5pm on the 10th day before an election. You can still pick up a vote-by-mail ballot from the Supervisor of Elections up until, or including Election Day.

Vote-by-mail ballots must be received by the Supervisor of Elections no later than 7pm on Election Day in order to be counted. Ballots can be returned by mail, in person, or at a secure drop box. It’s important to follow all instructions on a vote-by mail ballot to make sure it is counted. You can correct a missing or mismatched signature on your vote-by-mail ballot.

Note: You must renew your mail voting application and submit a form of identification every two years.

How to Vote in Person if Vote-by-Mail Ballot was Requested

A voter who has requested a ballot may still vote in person. The voter should bring the ballot (marked or unmarked) to the polls to turn the ballot in and vote a regular ballot. If the voter does not bring the ballot to the polls for whatever reason, the Supervisor of Elections' office will need to confirm that the ballot has not already been returned and received. If the ballot has not been received, the voter will be allowed to vote a regular ballot. If the ballot has been received, the ballot is deemed cast and the voter to have voted. If the voter believes the office is incorrect for whatever reason, the voter is allowed to vote a provisional ballot.

 

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Campaign Finance Information

For information on federal campaign contributions, please visit Open Secrets.

Or view your state's resource.

Candidate and Ballot Measure Information

Information on local, state and federal candidates and ballot measures may be available here.

To see a list of available races, visit the race index.

Drop Boxes

Vote-by-mail ballots may also be returned at Secure Ballot Intake Stations (drop boxes) at the Supervisor of Elections' main and branch offices during early-voting hours and at early voting sites in your county. Secure Ballot Intake Stations will not be available outside of operating hours. Please contact your Supervisor of Elections or visit their website for the locations and hours of all vote-by-mail ballot secure drop boxes in the county. Note: Recent legislation prohibits the use of mobile drop boxes. 

Early Voting

Early voting, at a minimum, begins 10 days before an election and ends on the third day before an election. During this period, early voting is conducted no less than 8 hours but not more than 12 hours per day on each day during the period. Supervisors of Elections designate early voting sites 30 days before an election, contact your Supervisor of Elections for locations in your county. Supervisors of elections have the option to offer additional early voting on the 11th-15th day before the election, or the 2nd day before the election.

Voters who want to vote early should remember to bring a photo and signature ID with them. Contact your Supervisor of Elections for dates, times and locations in your county.

 

Election Dates

Your next election date can be found here https://www.VOTE411.org/florida

Contact your local Board of Elections for information.

 

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to vote you must be:

  • A citizen of the United States
  • A resident of Florida
  • 18 years of age on or before the date of the next general election
  • Not adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or any other state, or, if you were adjudicated mentally incapacitated, you have had your rights restored by a court.
  • Not convicted of a felony (and not had your civil rights restored)

Incarcerated Voters & Returning Citizens:  

A person who has been convicted of a felony is not eligible to vote in Florida unless they have had their right to vote restored after completing their entire sentence. This includes incarceration, parole and/or probation, and payment of all fines, fees, costs, and restitution. Once their right to vote has been restored, they can register to vote. Note: This does not apply to those convicted of murder or a sexual offense. Pretrial detention and misdemeanors do not restrict your voting rights. 

Voters without traditional residence: 

It is not mandatory for citizens to possess a "permanent home" for voter registration. A citizen can provide an alternative description of their residence, even if they are experiencing homelessness, as long as it enables the authorities to identify and assign a voting precinct to them. This precinct assignment ensures that the voter receives the appropriate ballot. The mailing address on their registration form can be a P.O. box, local shelter, advocacy organization, outreach center, or the home of someone who will accept mail for them. 

ID Needed for Voter Registration

You must provide your current and valid  driver's license number (from your state), an ID number or the last 4 digits of your Social Security number to register. If you have none of these numbers, you must write "NONE" on the voter registration form.

If you register by mail and you are a first-time voter in the State and you have not been issued a Florida driver's license number, Florida I.D. number, or a Social Security number you are required to provide additional identification. To assure that you will not have problems when you go to vote, you should provide a copy of the required identification at the time you mail your voter registration form. If you are voting an absentee ballot, you must provide the proper identification prior to 7 p.m. Election Day or your absentee ballot will not count. The following forms of identification are acceptable if they contain your name and photograph:

  • United States passport
  • Debit of credit card
  • Military identification
  • Student identification
  • Retirement center identification
  • Neighborhood association identification
  • Public assistance Identification
  • Gun License

Do not send original identification documents to the supervisor of elections.

The following persons are not required to provide the identification required under the previous paragraph:

  • Persons 65 years of age or older
  • Persons with a temporary or permanent physical disability
  • Members of the uniformed services on active duty and their spouses and dependents, who, by reason of such active duty, are absent from the county on Election Day
  • Members of the Merchant Marine and their spouses and dependents, who, by reason of service in the Merchant Marine, are absent from the county on Election Day

 

ID Needed for Voting

To vote at the polls, you must provide picture identification that also shows a signature OR picture identification and another form of ID with your signature.

Examples of accepted photo IDs with a signature are:

  • Florida driver's license
  • Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
  • United States passport
  • Debit or credit card
  • Military identification
  • Student identification
  • Retirement center identification
  • Neighborhood association identification
  • Public assistance identification
  • Veteran health ID card issued by the US Department of Veterans Affairs
  • License to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06
  • Employee ID card issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county or a municipality

If you have additional questions about voter ID, please contact your local elections office.

If your photo ID does not have your signature, you will be asked to provide another ID that does have your signature.

If you do not bring a valid ID, you can still vote a provisional ballot. As long as you are eligible and voted in the proper precinct, your provisional ballot will count provided the signature on your provisional ballot matches the signature in your registration record.

Voters can call or text 844-338-8743 at any time to reach VoteRiders Voter ID Helpline

Official Results

Official results are never available on Election Day. Election officials are working around the clock to count an unprecedented number of ballots, and it’s essential that they take the time to make sure every vote is counted.

Absentee ballots begin being counted on Election Day. Provisional ballots are counted by noon, 4 days after a General Election.

For key election activity dates leading up to Election Day, click here. For election results reporting dates including recount, if applicable, and certification, click here.

Official Results
Overseas and Military Voters

You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation.

If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.

Poll Worker Information

You can make sure we have safe, fair, and efficient elections for all. Become a poll worker today!

In order to be a poll worker in the state of Florida:

  • You must be registered to vote in Florida
  • You must be at least 18 years of age or 17 and pre-registered
  • You must be a resident of the county
  • You must be able to read and write in English
  • You will be entitled to compensation
  • You must complete required training

To sign up, contact your local board of elections.

Polling Place Hours

The polling place hours will be from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Polling Place Locator

You can find your polling place by utilizing your state resource. If you have further questions on your polling place location, please contact your county clerk.

Primary Election Process

Florida is a “closed primary” state. In order to vote in the primary election, voters must be registered with a political party. Unaffiliated or independent voters are not able to participate in the primary.

If you have any questions about your state’s primary election, please contact your local election officials.

Provisional Voting

You may vote a provisional ballot if you meet specific conditions. 

Voters receive a provisional ballot if:

  • their registration cannot be verified at the polls
  • an absentee ballot has been issued but the voter fails to bring it to the polls
  • voter fails to provide proper ID
  • the polling hours are extended (these provisional ballots are segregated from all other provisional ballots).

The Provisional Ballot Cure Affidavit must be completed and submitted to the Elections Department along with a copy of your identification by 5.p.m. on the second day after the election. Provisional ballots are counted by noon, 4 days after a General Election and 3 days after a Primary Election.

Note: Voters must cast their provisional ballot in the correct polling place in order for it to be counted. If you are eligible to vote, and voted in the proper precinct, your provisional ballot will count as long as your signature on the provisional ballot matches the signature in your registration record.

 

 

 

Provisions for Voters with Disabilities

Accessible Voting Options for Persons with Disabilities:

Assistance with Voting

1. Receive personal help at the polls during early voting or on Election Day.

2. Vote on an accessible marking device at the polls.

3. Vote-by-mail from the comfort of your home.

4. Participate in supervised voting, if made available at your assisted living or nursing home facility.

5. Receive a vote-by-mail ballot through an electronic ballot delivery and marking system, if available in your county.

Polling Place Accessibility

Federal and state laws require all polling places to be accessible for voting. 

Voting Systems

For accessible voting systems used in your county, refer to chart (PDF Excel). For more information and instructions on how to vote on accessible systems, please contact your county Supervisor of Elections.

For more information, you can utilize the American Association of People With Disabilities (AAPD) resource.

Registration Deadline

You register or update your voter registration online! You can apply to register to vote at any time. However, to vote in an election, you must be registered in the state by the book closing date, 29 days before each election. You may pre-register to vote if you are 16 years old or have received a valid Florida driver's license, whichever occurs earlier.

  • Note: To vote in a Florida election, you must be registered at least 29 days before the election date. If you prefer to vote during the time designated for early voting, you must be registered for 29 days by this time or you will not be able to vote at that time.

Updating your registration to change your name, address, and signature is NOT limited by the 29 day deadline.

 

Time Off To Vote

Time off to vote is subject to the employer, there is no requirement for employers to grant time off to vote for employees.

Verify Voter Registration

To verify your voter registration status

click here!
Voting Machines

The voting systems used in Florida are optical scan and DRE.

Optical Scan: With this system, you will receive a card or sheet of paper, which you take over to a private table or booth. The card has the names of the various candidates and ballot measures printed on it. With a pen or pencil you fill in a little box or circle or the space between two arrows. When you are finished filling out all the cards, you may bring the cards over to a ballot box, where poll workers will show you how to put the cards in the box. Or in some places, you may feed the completed cards or papers into a computer device that checks your card or paper right there at the polling place to make sure you have voted the way you want to and counts the votes.

Direct Recording Electronic (DRE): This is the newest kind of system in use in the U.S. All the information about who and what you are voting for is on an electronic screen like a TV or computer screen.

There are many variations of DREs because lots of companies are inventing new ones, and many cities, counties and states are trying them out. Usually, after you have signed in, the poll workers will give you a card that you slide into a device to start your voting session.

Some of these devices will show all of the candidates and ballot choices on one big screen. Often, with these big screen devices you push a button next to the name of the candidate you want to vote for (or yes or no on a ballot measure). On other DREs, the screen is set up to show pages. On each screen or page, there will probably be one thing to vote on. For example, on one screen or page, you might vote for president. Then you might move to the next page to vote for senator. Often these small-screen devices have a pages. where you touch the screen next to the name of the person you want to vote for. Other devices have a key pad. Some have a keyboard, so you can write in the name of someone you want to vote for.

You let the system know you are finished voting by pushing a button, touching the screen or entering something on a keypad.

You can learn more about voting systems by checking out the Elections Assistance Commission's (EAC) or through Verified Voting.

Personalized voting information

  • See What's On Your Ballot
  • Check Your Voter Registration
  • Find Your Polling Place
  • Discover Upcoming Debates and Forum in Your Area

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Florida Department of State

Department of State

Room 316 RA Gray Building

500 South Bronough St.

Tallahassee 32399-0250


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