The registration books will be closed on the 29 th day before each election and will remain closed until after that election. This means you must register at least 29 days before you can vote in an election or you will be ineligible to vote and must wait until the following election. This is true for both the primary election and general election . During Election Day the polls will be open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM , and you must vote at your assigned precinct . Your precinct will be assigned when you register to vote and will be indicated on your Voter Registration Identification Card . Precincts are assigned according to where you live, and your precinct will likely be a public building or facility (fire department, school, library, etc.) near your home.
Some states allow voters to register the same day as the election, but Florida is not one of those states. Because the country's system of elections is based on the principle of federalism , states determine their own methods of voting and the process often varies a little from state to state.
To register to vote, you must:
The registration process takes only minutes and the Voter Registration Application form asks you to list such information as your name, address, whether you are a citizen, whether you are a convicted felon, your race and sex, and your political party affiliation. Once your Voter Registration Application has been processed, you will be mailed a Voter Registration Identification Card, which will indicate the location (precinct) where you can vote. It will also indicate your U.S. congressional district, Florida Senate and House districts, county commission and school board districts, and any pertinent municipal (city) districts. (Seats in Congress, state legislatures, county commissions, and so on are organized into geographic areas according to population.) Florida law requires that you bring a photo ID with your signature on it when you go to the polls to vote. Acceptable forms of ID are: Florida driver's license, FL Identification card, U.S. Passport, Employment badges, credit cards, military ID cards, student ID cards, theme park passes.
At the voting site, you will be asked to go to a table and show your ID to an official or volunteer, who will then check to make sure you are registered to vote and listed on a voting roster (this takes a minute, as the official/volunteer will have a book in front of them containing the names of all registered voters). From there you will receive a ballot (or card to be inserted into an electronic voting machine) and will proceed to a voting machine. Should you have any questions while voting, a Voter Assistance Official is available to answer your questions and provide assistance. After voting, you simply need to drop your completed ballot (or card) in a box.
ABSENTEE BALLOTS
If you will be out of the county or unable to go to the polls, you may request an absentee ballot in writing, online, by phone, or in person. If you are physically handicapped, a legal guardian or relative can pick up the absentee ballot for you with your written consent. You do not need a reason to want to vote by absentee ballot ( Florida has a "no fault" law meaning any registered voter can vote by absentee ballot for any reason). The benefit of voting by absentee ballot is the convenience of voting in the comfort of your home. When requests are made for absentee ballots, the Supervisor of Elections' office will verify your voter registration before mailing you the ballot. The same verification will be done when your absentee ballot is counted the night of or after the election.
When requesting an absentee ballot, you must be registered to vote and must provide your name, address, date of birth, and signature. Your absentee ballot must be postmarked by 7:00 PM on Election Day and it is not accepted at any poll location. Absentee ballots coming from overseas must also be postmarked by 7:00 PM on Election Day and must arrive in the office of the Supervisor of Elections within 10 days of the election.
PROVISIONAL BALLOTS
If your name does not appear on the voting rolls when you attempt to vote at your precinct, and you believe you are registered to vote, the poll workers must check their data base. If you are registered to vote at another precinct, you will be instructed to go to that precinct. If, however, your eligibility to vote cannot be verified, you are entitled to vote by a provisional ballot . These ballots are sealed in an envelope and the Supervisor of Elections will later verify whether you are registered. If so, your vote by provisional ballot will be counted.
RIGHTS OF REGISTERED VOTERS
All registered voters can obtain written instructors or, upon request, oral instructions from election officers in order to vote.
If you are registered to vote and move to a new precinct within the same county, and do so after the books are closed (29 days before the election), you can go to your new precinct. At that new precinct, you will be able to vote by provisional ballot.
If you move to another county in Florida , you must notify the Supervisor of Elections in your new county within 29 days of the election of your new address. You must register in that new county.
If you move from Florida to another state or move from another state to Florida , you must register to vote in your new state of residence, and do so in the county where you now reside. If your move occurs after the books have closed, you might be able to still vote by absentee ballot (it varies by state, and Florida allows former residents who moved away after the books have closed to still vote by absentee ballot in Florida, but only for president/vice president).
You can contact the Supervisor of Elections by phone, mail, or in person at:
Palm Beach County
Supervisor of Elections
240 South Military Trail
West Palm Beach , Fl 33415
(561) 656-6200
Broward County
Supervisor of Elections
115 South Andrews Ave. , Room 102
Fort Lauderdale , FL 33301
(954) 357-7065
