General

Florida voting FAQs

Posted on by Suanne Thamm

September 23, 2020

The information below appears on the Florida Division of Elections website, along with other useful information to assist Florida voters.

  1. What times are the polls open on election day?
    • Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on election day. Any voter who is standing in line at 7 p.m. is still eligible to cast a vote.
  2. What kind of identification do I need to bring to the polls?
    • When you go to the polling place to vote, you will be asked to provide a current and valid picture identification with a signature. Approved forms of picture identification 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 identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs; license to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06; or an employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality (Section 101.043, F.S.). If the picture identification does not contain a signature, you will be asked to provide an additional identification with your signature.
  3. Can I still vote if I do not bring identification?
    • Yes. You should not be turned away from the polls because you do not bring identification. If you do not have the proper identification, you will be allowed to vote a provisional ballot.
  4. What happens if someone challenges my eligibility to vote at the polls?
    • A person may be challenged for a number of reasons including that your legal residential address is not within the precinct. By law, you still have the right to vote. You can still vote a regular ballot if your new address is within the same county and corresponds to the same precinct. You will be asked to complete an address change update before voting.
    • If your new address places you outside the precinct where you were challenged, the poll worker will direct you to the proper precinct.
    • If you have moved in from another county, you will be allowed to vote a regular ballot if the new precinct has an electronic poll book instead of paper or you are an active military member. Otherwise you will vote a provisional ballot. You will still be asked to complete an address change update before voting.
    • If you do not execute the address change or you insist on voting in the precinct that does not correspond to your address, you will be allowed to vote a provisional ballot but your ballot may not count.
    • If you are challenged on any other grounds of your eligibility, you have the right to vote a provisional ballot.
  5. What else do I have to do if I vote a provisional ballot?
    • You will be provided a written notice of your rights as a provisional ballot voter. (Section 101.048, F.S.) You have the right to present further evidence of your eligibility if you want up to 2 days after the election.
    • If the reason you voted a provisional ballot is solely because you did not provide an acceptable photo and signature identification at the polls, you do not need to provide any further evidence of your eligibility in order for your ballot to count. The local canvassing board will simply compare your signature on the provisional ballot certificate with the signature on file. If the signatures match, your provisional ballot will be counted, provided you are otherwise eligible. If your signature on the Provisional Ballot Certificate is missing or does not match the one on file, you will still have the opportunity to cure the deficiency. You will need to submit to the Supervisor of Elections a completed DS-DE 210 – Provisional Ballot Cure Affidavit (English PDF /Español PDF)  no later than 5 PM on the second day after the election.
    • If you vote a provisional ballot for other reasons (for example, your eligibility is challenged by another person, you are in the wrong precinct when you vote, you do not appear on the precinct register, etc.), you have the opportunity to bring in evidence to your respective supervisor of elections no later than 5 PM, of the second day following the election. (Section 101.048, F.S.) The local canvassing board will examine your provisional ballot certificate, the cure affidavit, if applicable, and any and all other information and evidence, if available. The board will then make its determination based on the law.
  6. How do I find out if my provisional ballot was counted?
    • You will be given a Notice of Rights which will include instructions on how to find out if your provisional ballot was counted, and if not, the reason(s) why, will be contained in your notice of rights handed to you at the time that you vote a provisional ballot. Information as to whether your provisional ballot was counted or not must be made available no later than 30 days following the election. (Sections 101.048(5)-(6), F.S.)
  7. How do I request and vote a vote-by-mail ballot?
  8. How can I find out about my vote-by-mail ballot request ballot?
    • You can track online your vote-by-mail ballot request and ballot. Go to your county Supervisor of Elections’ website or through the Division of Elections Voter Information Lookup to your county portal that will link you to your vote-by-mail ballot information.
  9. I have requested a vote-by-mail ballot and now I have changed my mind and want to vote at the polls. May I?
    • Yes. If you received your vote-by-mail ballot, you should return it, whether voted or not, to the poll workers on Election Day. Your vote-by-mail ballot will be voided and you will be allowed to vote a regular ballot at the polls. Even if you come to the polls without your vote-by-mail ballot, you will still be able to vote a regular ballot if the supervisor of elections’ office is able to confirm that it has not received your vote-by-mail ballot. However, if it is confirmed that your vote-by-mail ballot has been received, you cannot vote a regular ballot at the polls. If you think the supervisor of elections’ office is wrong about receiving your vote-by-mail ballot or if the supervisor of elections’ office is unable to confirm whether or not it has received your vote-by-mail ballot, you will be allowed to vote a provisional ballot.
  10. Does Florida allow early voting?
    • Yes. Please visit our Early Voting page for more information.
  11. Can I vote if I am a lawful permanent resident?
    • No. Only U.S. citizens can register or vote in Florida. To be a U.S. citizen, you must be born in the United States or certain U.S. territories, be born to U.S. citizen parents, or be naturalized. Although a lawful permanent resident (commonly referred to as a “green card holder”) has the right to live and work in the U.S. on a permanent basis, he or she cannot register or vote.
  12. Can I vote if I have dual citizenship?
    • Yes as long as you have U.S. citizenship and are otherwise properly registered, you can vote.
  13. If I am a victim of violence, how can I vote and still keep my address and other identifying information confidential?
    • If you are a victim of actual or threatened domestic violence or stalking, you can register and vote without risking public disclosure of your address and other identifying information.
    • First you must become a registered participant of the Attorney General’s Address Confidentiality Program (ACP). The ACP will give you a certificate/authorization form and a substitute address through which you can receive mail. To find out more details or how to apply, please contact the Division of Crime Victims’ Services for details at: 850-414-3330
    • Second you must register to vote. Bring your ACP certificate/authorization form with you to your county Supervisor of Elections’ office. If you are a new applicant, your application will be processed manually in such a way that your voter registration information and record (which is otherwise public record) will not be disclosed or released to the public in any way. If you are already registered, your voter registration information and record will be removed from any publicly disclosed or available list. Only your Supervisor of Elections’ will know your true address in order to assign you to the proper precinct. Your vote-by-mail ballot will be sent to you using the substitute address that the ACP gave you. You do not go to the polls to vote.
  14. Where can I locate a list of candidates for upcoming or prior elections?
    • You can view a list of candidates that file with the Division of Elections by searching the Candidates and Races Database.  In addition, you can also find a list of candidates and issues that will appear on the actual ballot on the county Supervisor of Elections’ website and/or publication in the newspaper and through your sample ballot.  For more information about sample ballots, please contact your local County Supervisor of Elections office.