Voting and Elections Information for Florida

Deadline

• Eligible individuals can register to vote at any time.
• The deadline to register is 29 days before the upcoming election.
• Registration deadlines for 2020 are: Presidential Preference Primary Election: February 18, Primary Election: July 20, General Election: October 5.
• For a primary election, the deadline to change parties is 29 days before election day. For a general election, a party change can be made at any time. A Federal holiday moves the deadline to the next business day.
• Late registration is available if you (or accompanying family member) have been discharged or separated from the Merchant Marines or armed forces, or from employment outside the territorial United States. The late registration deadline is 5 p.m. on the Friday before election day in the country in which you are to be registered. Contact your Supervisor of Elections for more information and to obtain the form you have to complete.

For more information on voter registration deadlines for upcoming elections, please visit our Election Dates webpage.

Online registration

If you are a Florida resident and otherwise eligible, visit RegistertoVoteFlorida.gov to submit a new registration online, to update your existing record, or to use the system to populate, print, sign and mail in a paper application.

Online registration is available in English and Spanish.

Mail-in registration

The voter registration application form is also available for download [English PDF / Espanol PDF] if you do not wish to use the online system.

Refer to the box below for information about ID requirements.

Updating registration      

If you are already registered to vote in Florida but you need to update any information on your voter registration record, you can submit a change at visit RegistertoVoteFlorida.gov to update your existing record. You can also call or email an address change to your county Supervisor of Elections.

For any other questions, call or email your county Supervisor of Elections.

Cancelling registration

If you are no longer a resident of Florida, send written notice to the Supervisor of Elections of the county of your former residence to cancel your Florida registration.

ID Requirements for Voting

Whether during early voting or on Election Day, you will be asked to provide at the polls a valid photo ID with signature. Any one of the following photo IDs will be accepted: 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 U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs; license to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06; employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality.

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

If you do not bring proper 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.

Florida Voting FAQ: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/contacts/frequently-asked-questions/faq-voting/

More information: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/for-voters/voting/

Where to get an ID

Florida Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles

• Locations: https://www.flhsmv.gov/locations/

Obtaining a Driver’s License or ID card

• What to bring: https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/what-to-bring/
• Drivers license and ID card fees: https://www.flhsmv.gov/fees/ ​​Contact the service center you intend to visit if you have questions about acceptable methods of payment: https://www.flhsmv.gov/locations/
• Replacement licenses: https://services.flhsmv.gov/VirtualOffice/ Florida law requires residents, within 30 days of changing their name or address, to obtain a replacement license. The incorrect license must be surrendered to the Division. For U. S. citizens, address changes may be done online: https://services.flhsmv.gov/VirtualOffice/ or in person at a driver license office: https://www.flhsmv.gov/locations/
• Non-United States citizens: https://www.flhsmv.gov/locations/

Early Voting

By law, early voting must be held at least for 8 days. The mandatory early voting periods for 2020 are:

• Presidential Preference Primary Election: March 7 - 14
• Primary Election: August 8 - 15
• General Election: October 24 - 31

Each county Supervisor of Elections may offer more days of early voting from one or more of the following days:

• Presidential Preference Primary Election: March 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 15
• Primary Election: August 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 16
• General Election: October 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and November 1

Check with your county Supervisor of Elections for the additional days of early voting that may be offered in your county: https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/supervisors/

More information: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/for-voters/voting/early-voting/

Absentee voting

For absent stateside and overseas uniformed service member and overseas civilian voters, Supervisors of Elections send the ballots no later than 45 days before an election. The send periods for 2020 are:

• Presidential Preference Primary Election: February 1
• Primary Election: July 4
• General Election: September 19

For domestic voters, Supervisors of Elections send the ballots during a 7-day window between 40 and 33 days before an election. The send periods for 2020 are:

• Presidential Preference Primary Election: February 6-13
• Primary Election: July 9-16
• General Election: September 24 - October 1

More information: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/for-voters/election-dates/

Polling places and hours

• Use the Polling Place Locator to find your polling place: https://gettothepolls.com/, the Florida Department of State Voter Information Lookup to find your precinct or polling place: https://registration.elections.myflorida.com/CheckVoterStatus, or contact your county Supervisor of Elections: https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/supervisors/
• Polls in Florida are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Any voters waiting in line at 7:00 p.m. will have the opportunity to cast a ballot.

Rides to the polls

Many organizations offer free rides to polling places. Some of these include:

• Florida Family Action: https://floridafamilyaction.org/free-rides-to-vote/ - Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Liberty and Washington counties
• Political parties sometimes arrange rides for voters. Contact your local office:
  • Republican Party: https://florida.gop/recs/
  • Democratic Party: https://www.floridadems.org/

Accessible Voting for Persons with Disabilities

If you require assistance to vote due to a disability you have several options:

• Personal help at the polls during early voting or on Election Day: You can choose anyone to help you except your employer or an agency of your employer or an officer or agency of your union. You can alternatively get the help of two members of the Supervisor of Elections staff. See section 101.051 of the Florida Statutes: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0100-0199/0101/Sections/0101.051.html.
• Vote on a touch screen or other accessible marking device at the polls with little or no assistance and in secret. Federal and state laws require at least one accessible voting system to be in each polling place. Information on Florida's certified accessible voting systems: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/for-voters/voting/accessible-voting-for-persons-with-disabilities/
• Vote-by-mail from home. See section 101.661 of the Florida Statutes: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?mode=View%20Statutes&SubMenu=1&App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=101.661&URL=0100-0199/0101/Sections/0101.661.html
• Participate in supervised voting if available at your assisted living or nursing home facility. See section 101.655 of the Florida Statutes: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?mode=View%20Statutes&SubMenu=1&App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=101.655&URL=0100-0199/0101/Sections/0101.655.html

More information on accessibility and polling places and systems: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/for-voters/voting/accessible-voting-for-persons-with-disabilities/

Language Assistance and Translation

By law, Florida provides language assistance and translation of election-related materials in Spanish. See Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act and U.S. Census Bureau determination: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/about/voting-rights/voting-rights-determination-file.html

The state provides assistance in several ways:

1. Spanish assistance is available through the statewide voter assistance and voter hotlines: https://www.dos.myflorida.com/elections/contacts/contact-us/
2. Information is available on the Division of Elections' website. Statewide-issued or -produced materials are translated, to include the voter registration application: https://www.dos.myflorida.com/elections/for-voters/voter-registration/register-to-vote-or-update-your-information/ and the Florida Voter Registration and Voting Guide, in English https://www.dos.myflorida.com/media/699606/2018-voterregguide-1-18-2019.pdf and Spanish https://www.dos.myflorida.com/media/699607/voter-registration-guide-spanish.pdf.
3. The following thirteen Florida counties are specifically subject to Spanish language requirements under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act. They must provide oral and written assistance and election-related materials such as instructions, forms, ballots and notices:
   • Broward
   • DeSoto
   • Hardee
   • Hendry
   • Hillsborough
   • Lee
   • Miami-Dade
   • Orange
   • Osceola
   • Palm Beach
   • Pinellas
   • Polk
   • Seminole

More information and resources for language assistance: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/for-voters/voting/language-assistance-for-voting/

Who are the candidates, and what else is on the ballot?

• Florida Department of State's Candidate Tracking System tracks candidates throughout the elections process presenting candidate status, campaign finance activity, personal photos and contact information: https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/candidates/
• Offices up for election and retention in 2020, including federal, county and multi-county and district offices, judicial retention, and circuit and county court judges: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/candidates-committees/offices-up-for-election/

Florida Candidates FAQ: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/contacts/frequently-asked-questions/faq-candidates/

More information about candidates, campaign documents and committees: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/candidates-committees/information-about-candidates-campaign-documents-and-committees/

Who conducts elections?

The Florida Department of State's Division of Elections provides administrative support to the Secretary of State, Florida's Chief Election Officer, to ensure that Florida has fair and accurate elections. The Division consists of three bureaus - the Bureau of Election Records, the Bureau of Voter Registration Services, and the Bureau of Voting Systems Certification. Through these bureaus and the director's office, the Division ensures compliance with election laws, provides statewide coordination of election administration and promotes public participation in the electoral process. 

More information: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/about-us/

Voter Rights

Documents containing Election laws and statutes (including the Voting Rights Act): https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/about-us/

Where to go with complaints about candidates or how elections are conducted

The Department of State has the authority (under section 97.012(15) of the Florida Statutes) to conduct preliminary investigations into any allegations of irregularities or fraud involving voter registration or voting, or candidate or issue petition activities.

• Voter Fraud Hotline (in English and Espanol) 1.877.868.3737, M-F 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST
• Should you observe or witness a potential case of elections fraud, please complete and submit an Elections Fraud Complaint Form (DS-DE 34) so it may be further investigated. Provide the date, time, place, and as much specific information and credible evidence as possible. English - PDF: https://dos.myflorida.com/media/693271/dsde34.pdf | Espanol - PDF: https://dos.myflorida.com/media/693637/dsde34_spa.pdf

More information: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/contacts/elections-fraud-complaint/

Note: "Elections fraud" does not include violations of Chapter 106, F.S., relating to transparency in elections, which are enforced by the Florida Elections Commission: http://www.fec.state.fl.us/

Campaign Finance

The Campaign Finance database (https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/candidates-committees/campaign-finance/campaign-finance-database/) contains all contributions and expenditures reported to the Florida Division of Elections since candidacy was announced, beginning with the 1996 election.

Candidates, committees, and electioneering communications organizations which are registered with this state file their financial reports with the Division of Elections' electronic filing system (EFS). The information in the EFS is made available to the public. This page gives detailed information on accessing and searching the EFS: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/candidates-committees/campaign-finance/ (Note: The EFS does not include campaign finance reports filed by federal candidates. Federally filed reports can be found at the Federal Election Commission website at: https://www.fec.gov/)

Florida Campaign Finance FAQ: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/contacts/frequently-asked-questions/faq-campaign-finance/

Florida Political Committees FAQ: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/contacts/frequently-asked-questions/faq-political-committees/

Contact Your Elected Officials

Contact the Governor's Office: https://www.flgov.com/contact-governor-2

Contact your U.S. Senators: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Contact your U.S. Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives

Contact your Florida Senator: http://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/Find

Contact your Florida Representative: https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/representatives.aspx

More information: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/contacts/elected-officials/