Voting
Voting is at the heart of American democracy—and an important part of community life as an adult. It allows you to play a role in determining local, state and national leadership and express your opinions about which policies are best for our society. In this section, you’ll learn more about voting requirements and how to register to vote and cast a ballot in Florida.
VOTING REQUIREMENTS
To be able to vote in an election, you must do two things:
1 | Meet the basic requirements, and
2 | Be registered to vote.
Illustration by Sali Hinsen
The basic requirements to vote are for you to:
- Be a citizen of the U.S. (by birth or naturalization).
- Be a legal resident of both Florida and of the county in which you seek to be registered.
- Be 18 years old (you may preregister if you are at least 16).
- Not be adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or any other state, or if you have, you must first have your voting rights restored.
- Not be a convicted felon, or if you are, you must
first have your civil rights restored if they were taken away.
There are some cases where a court has ruled that a person is not competent to vote. This means the court has decided that the person is not physically and/or mentally able to make their own decisions when it comes to voting. When this happens, the person’s right to vote is taken away, even if he or she meets the basic requirements to vote.
A felony conviction in Florida for murder or a sexual offense makes a person ineligible to vote in Florida unless and until the person’s right to vote is restored by the State Clemency Board. For any other felony conviction in Florida, a person is eligible to register and vote if the person has completed all terms of their sentence. Completion of a sentence means: prison or jail time; parole, probation and other forms of supervision; and payment of the total amount of fines, fees, costs and restitution ordered as part of the felony sentence.
A felony conviction in another state makes a person ineligible to vote in Florida only if the conviction would make the person ineligible to vote in the state where the person was convicted. An offense for which a person was not adjudicated guilty does not make a person ineligible to vote. A misdemeanor conviction also does not make a person ineligible to vote.
For additional information, go to the following websites:
- www.accessthevote.org/voting-in-florida/your-voting-rights/
- www.dos.myflorida.com/elections/for-voters/voter-registration/constitutional-amendment-4felon-voting-rights
Registering to Vote
Assuming you meet the basic requirements, in order to vote, you must also register to vote by completing a Florida Voter Registration Application. If you do not complete this application, you will not be allowed to vote in any election. You can complete this application once you turn 16, but still cannot vote until on or after your 18th birthday. You are encouraged to register as soon as possible after your 16th birthday.
The Florida Voter Registration Application can be completed online, by mail or in-person. To complete the application online, go to www.registertovoteflorida.gov/home.
To get a paper application, contact your county Supervisor of Elections office, a local Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles office, a voter registration agency or an armed forces recruitment office. After you fill out the paper application, you should hand deliver or mail it to your county Supervisor of Elections office.
Please note that for a Florida Voter Registration Application to be accepted, it must include the following information:
- Your first and last name.
- Your address.
- Your date of birth.
- A mark in the checkbox confirming that you are a citizen of the U.S.
- Your Florida driver license number, the identification number from a Florida-issued identification card or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
- A mark in the checkbox confirming that you have not been convicted of a felony, or that if you have, your civil rights have been restored.
- A mark in the checkbox confirming that you have not had your right to vote taken away by a court, or that if you have, your right to vote has been restored.
- Your signature, which serves as a promise that the information you provided in the application is true and that you promise to uphold the U.S. Constitution and the Florida Constitution.
You do not have to choose a political party when you register to vote. Just note that, if you decide not to choose a political party, you will only be allowed to vote in a General Election. A General Election is an election held to fill available national, state, county and district offices. It may also include voting for amendments to the Florida Constitution. Voters who choose a political party can also vote in a Primary Election. A Primary Election is an election held prior to a general election to select a political party nominee to be included on the ballot in the General Election. If you do not choose a political party when you first register to vote, or wish to change your political party, you can do so later by contacting your county Supervisor of Elections office.
You must register at least 29 days before an election to be eligible to vote in that election. If you do not meet the deadline, your registration will still be accepted, but only for voting in future elections. You can check your voter registration status online at www.dos.myflorida.com/elections.
Voting in an Election
Once registered to vote, you have the right to:
- Vote and have your vote accurately counted.
- Cast your vote if you are in line at the official closing of the polls.
- Ask for and receive assistance in voting.
- Receive up to two replacement ballots if you make a mistake prior to casting the ballot.
- Be provided an explanation if your registration or identity is in question. (In this case, you can cast a provisional ballot.)
- Be provided written instructions to use when voting, and, upon request, oral instructions from election officers.
- Vote free from coercion or intimidation by elections officers or any others.
- Vote using a system that is in working condition and will allow your vote to be accurately cast.
To vote in person, you need to bring a current and valid photo identification with a signature to your polling place. If an election official says that you are not listed as a registered voter, but you have in fact registered to vote, you may still vote using what is called a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot is a ballot that must be verified before it can be counted. You must request a provisional ballot and sign a written statement stating that you are a registered voter who is eligible to vote. The county will verify your registration and eligibility and then your vote will be counted. If registration and eligibility are not determined, the vote will be rejected.
When you vote on an Election Day, you must do so at your assigned polling place. Check the address listed on your voter information card or with your county Supervisor of Elections office (www.dos.myflorida.com/elections/contacts/supervisor-of-elections) to determine the location of your polling place. Your voter information card should also list the hours your polling place will be open on Election Day. Typically, they are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
You can also vote in person before Election Day by participating in early voting. The county Supervisor of Elections office will designate early voting sites and determine their hours of operation. During early voting, you vote on the same type of voting equipment that is used on Election Day. Early voting begins at least 10 days before and ends on the third day before an election.
The Help America Vote Act is a law that requires voting systems to be accessible for individuals with disabilities in a way that allows the same opportunity for access and participation as other voters. This means that all polling places must be accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. Also, any voter who needs help to cast their vote can get it from two election officials or some other person of the voter’s choosing (other than the voter’s employer). Any person who believes that a violation of the Help America Vote Act has occurred, is occurring or is about to occur can file a complaint with the Florida Department of State.
If you are unable or unwilling to go to the polls to vote during an election, for any reason, you can vote by mail. A vote-by-mail ballot is a ballot that you request and pick-up or have delivered to you instead of voting at a polling place during early voting or on Election Day.
A voter must first be registered to vote before they can request a vote-by-mail ballot. Unless otherwise specified, a request to receive a vote-by-mail ballot covers all elections through the end of the calendar year for the next ensuing regularly scheduled General Election. If a vote-by-mail ballot is returned undeliverable, it will cancel a request for future elections and must be renewed.
- A request for a vote-by-mail ballot may be made in one of the following ways:
- By signed writing (e.g., mail, fax or scanned attachment to an email) to your county Supervisor
of Elections office. - In person at your county Supervisor of
Elections office. - By phone to your county Supervisor of
Elections office.
Your request must include your:
- Name.
- Date of birth.
- Address.
If the request is to mail the ballot to an address other than the one on file, the request must be a signed writing; an exception exists for absent uniformed service or overseas voters. - Your Florida driver license, Florida identification card or the last four digits of your Social Security number (whichever may be verified in the county Supervisor of Elections office records).
- Signature (if the request is written).
You can designate an immediate family member (for example, parent, grandparent or sibling) or your legal guardian to request a ballot on your behalf. In such a situation, the request must also include the requestor’s:
- Address.
- Driver license number, state identification card or the last four digits of their social security number
(if available). - Relationship to you.
- Signature (if the request is written).
One advantage of the vote-by-mail ballot is that it allows you the ability to control your election experience. If you vote at home, you do not have to get to a polling place or wait in potentially long lines. The downside is that you do not have the experience of voting in the company of the community. Some people, and especially people with disabilities, feel it is very important to vote in person to emphasize the significance of accessible polling places and equipment.
The deadline to request that a vote-by-mail ballot be mailed is no later than 5:00 p.m. on the 10th day before the election. A county Supervisor of Elections office must mail the ballot out within two business days after a request. The last day for a county Supervisor of Elections office to be able to mail out a ballot is eight days before an election.
Your marked ballot must be mailed or delivered in person, reaching the county Supervisor of Elections office no later than 7:00 pm on the day of the election. A vote-by-mail ballot can be dropped off at designated secure drop boxes located at early voting sites. Please contact your county Supervisor of Elections office or refer to its website for the locations of all the vote-by-mail ballot secure drop boxes in your county.
Accessibility and Assistance
Various federal and state laws require polling places and voting equipment and processes to be accessible to people with disabilities. If you need assistance to vote due to a disability you have several options:
- Receive personal help at the polls during early voting or on Election Day.
- Vote on an accessible device at the polls.
- Vote-by-mail from home.
- Participate in supervised voting.
- Receive a vote-by-mail ballot through an electronic ballot delivery and marking system.
For additional information about inclusive voting and voter registration in Florida, please visit www.accessthevote.org. If you have any issue with voting or registering to vote due to a disability, please contact Disability Rights Florida’s Voting Rights Hotline at 800-342-0823 extension 6000.