Check Your Voting Status
Information regarding voting status is available on your country's Supervisor of Elections website. The site provides details such as polling locations for election day, Vote-by-Mail ballot status, and party affiliation. You can also register to vote, update your address, request a Vote-by-Mail ballot, or change your party affiliation through this platform.
Things You May Not Know, but Should
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If you have trouble voting, call Election Protection for help. (866) 687-8683
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Once you register to vote, you do not need to register again. However, you do need to keep your information current and should vote regularly to avoid having your record purged.
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​If you relocate within the State of Florida, change your address and then vote at your new polling location where the new address will be recorded.
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During early voting you may cast your ballots at any early voting site in your county. Your assigned polling location for election day may not be open during early voting. Finding the locations for early voting in the tri-county area are posted on the landing page of this website during elections.
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On election day you must vote at your assigned polling place. Your precinct is listed on your Voter Information Card. You can also find it on your county's Supervisor of Elections website. (Click the link in the Check Your Voting Status section.)
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The primary reason Vote-by-Mail ballots are rejected is the signature on the envelop does not match the signature the Supervisor of Elections has on file. If your signature has changed either from age or health, contact your Supervisor of Elections to update your records.
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If your Vote-by-Mail ballot is rejected for any reason, the Supervisor of Elections office will contact you and give you a chance to "cure" your ballot so it can be counted.
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The Supervisor of Elections website allows you to track the status of your Vote-by-Mail ballot during elections. It will show you whether your ballot has been requested, sent, received or counted
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When you vote in person, bring a valid voter ID with a signature, such as a driver's license. A voter who does not show required identification or whose eligibility cannot be determined at a precinct is entitled to obtain a Provisional Ballot that will be validated as a vote at a later time.
Any one of the following photo IDs will be accepted: •Florida driver 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 (as long as it has a signature) •Retirement center identification •Neighborhood association identification •Public assistance identification •Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs •A 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.
"Talk is cheap, voting is free;
take it to the polls"
- Peggy Noonan
Voting in Florida: The Basics
Types of Elections
1. GENERAL ELECTIONS
General elections are conducted on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November of even numbered years. During these elections, voters select federal, state, and local officials and often vote on amendments to the Florida constitution.
Federal offices on the ballot include the President, U.S. Senators, and Representatives in Congress. State-level offices such as Governor, Attorney General, Florida Senators, and Representatives are also elected at this time. Additionally, local positions—such as Supervisor of Elections, Superintendent of Schools, County Commissioners, Mayors, and City Council members—are determined. Amendments to the Florida Constitution frequently appear on the general election ballot.
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2. PRIMARY ELECTIONS
Primary elections occur 11 weeks before the general election. The sole purpose of primaries in many states is for political parties to nominate their candidates for the upcoming general election; no officeholders are elected during this process. In Florida, however, certain races are decided in the primary. In addition, on rare occasions amendments to the Florida Constitution appear on the ballot.
Florida is a closed primary state. Voters must declare their party affiliation 29 days before the election to vote in partisan races. If voters opt to register as NPA (No Party Affiliation), they cannot vote for any party's (e.g. Democratic, Republican) candidates. An NPA's ballot will only include the non-partisan races, as well as any universal primary contests and occasionally amendments.
Races where the winner is decided in the primary include • Non-partisan offices of County Judges, District Judges, and School Board members • Party officials • Universal Primary Contests A Universal Primary is a partisan race where all candidates are members of the same party. Since the winning candidate would have no opponent in the general election, all voters have this race on their ballot.
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3. PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE PRIMARY ELECTIONS
Presidential Preference Primary Election are held in Presidential Election years
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4. SPECIAL ELECTIONS
Special elections are convened to fill vacancies created when an elected official is unable to complete their term. These elections may take place during a general or primary election, or on a date established by the elections office.
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Three Ways to Vote
1. VOTE-BY-MAIL
To vote by mail in Florida, you must request a Vote-by-Mail ballot every two years, as these requests expire after each general election. You can renew your request through your county's Supervisor of Elections office.
County election officials send out Vote-by-Mail ballots approximately one month before early voting begins. Ballots may be mailed or turned in at the Supervisor of Elections Office. During early voting and on election day, ballots may be delivered in person at the elections office or at open polling locations. The deadline to submit a Vote-by-Mail Ballot is 5 P.M. or 7 P.M. on Election Day depending on your County.
2. VOTE EARLY
Florida requires a minimum mandatory period of 8 days for early voting. County Supervisor of Elections may offer additional days. Each county determines its own voting dates, times, and locations. Unlike voting on election day, you do not need to vote at your assigned polling place: you may vote at any open location. The county Supervisor of Elections maintains and publicizes all of this information.
3. VOTE ON ELECTION DAY
General elections are conducted on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November of even numbered years. During these elections, voters select federal, state, and local officials and often vote on amendments to the Florida constitution. Polls are open from 7 am to 7 pm. Anyone in line as of 7 pm will be allowed to vote.
Register to Vote
You can register to vote at any time. The deadline to register to vote for an upcoming election is 29 days before the election. The links at the top of this page to your county's Supervisor of Election website has an online registration form and instructions.
If you are a college student in Florida, you can register to vote at whichever address you consider your residence - either your family's home or your school address, but not both. You should update your registration anytime this home address changes.
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A felony conviction in Florida for murder or a sexual offense makes a person ineligible to vote until the person's right to vote is restored by the State Clemency Board. For any other felony conviction, a person is eligible to register and vote if the person has completed all terms of his or her sentence. The Florida Division of Elections website contains further details
Someone struggled for your right to vote. Use it .
Susan B Anthony
Voter Turnout: Cause for Concern
As shown in the chart below, voter turnout in the United States is significantly higher during presidential election years. This indicates that people are less engaged with other elections, even though the decisions made by officials elected in those races directly impact their lives.
Perhaps the disparity between turnout in the general vs the primary elections is even more concerning because primaries shape the choices available to voters in the general election, and in Florida, some contests are decided in the primary. Furthermore, as of late 2024, approximately 85% of U.S. congressional districts were considered uncompetitive in the general election, meaning they are safely held by either a Republican or a Democratic candidate. In those districts the winner of the dominant party's primary will likely win the seat.
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Special elections see even less engagement. For example, in the special election in 2025 for State Senator, District 11only 16.3% of registered voters in Sumter County participated in the primary and just 26.0% voted in the general election.
Low voter turnout is troubling because it reduces the probability that elected officials will adequately represent the interests of their entire constituency.