Voting Q&A from Florida Division of Elections

Information last updated: May 25, 2022

1. When do polls open on election day?
   • Polls on Election Day are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. (local time). Florida has two time-zones – Central and Eastern.  Any voter who is standing in line at 7 p.m. (local time) in their county is still eligible to cast a vote. For more information on Election Day voting, click here.
2. Where’s my precinct or polling location? What if my polling location changes?
   • Precinct and polling location information can be found on your voter information card. To find your precinct or polling location online, or for the most current information about polling place changes, visit your Supervisor of Elections’ website or contact the office. Contact information is here.
3. Where are early voting locations? When is early voting?
   • Please visit our Early Voting page for more information about locations, dates and times. For the most current information about early voting locations and any changes, visit your Supervisor of Elections’ website or contact the office. Contact information is here.
   • Any voter who is standing in line at the scheduled close of early voting (local time) is still eligible to cast a vote.
4. Is language assistance available?
   • For information, visit our webpage on Language Assistance for Voting. For information about services are available in your particularly county, visit your Supervisor of Elections’ website or contact their office. Contact information is here.
5. What do I bring with me to vote? What form of photo ID do I need?
   • You will need to bring a current and valid photo identification with a signature. Approved forms of photo 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 photo identification does not have a signature, you must provide additional identification with your signature.
   • A voter information card is not an acceptable form of ID. Your card is a good source of information about your voter registration including your assigned precinct and polling location for Election Day.
6. Can I still vote if I do not bring identification?
   • Yes, you will be allowed to vote a provisional ballot.
7. What happens if someone challenges my eligibility to vote at the polls?
   • A voter can be challenged for a number of reasons.
   • If you are challenged at the polls, you still have the right to vote a provisional ballot.
   • If you are challenged because of your address, you may still be able to vote a regular ballot if your new address corresponds to the same precinct. If your new address falls within another precinct, the poll worker will direct you to the proper precinct. Contact your supervisor of elections for further questions. Contact information is here.
8. What else do I have to do if I vote a provisional ballot?
   • When you vote provisionally, you will be given a written notice of rights. You have up until 5 PM (local time) on the second day after the election to present further evidence of your eligibility. (See section 048, F.S.)
   • If you voted a provisional ballot solely because you did not have an acceptable photo and signature identification, you do not need to provide further evidence of your eligibility in order for your ballot to count, provided you are otherwise eligible and qualified to vote.
   • The local canvassing board will compare your signature on the provisional ballot certificate with the signature in your voter registration record. If the signatures match, your provisional ballot will be counted, provided you are otherwise eligible. If your signature is missing from the ballot certificate or does not match, the Supervisor of Elections’ office will attempt to contact you, as soon as practicable with the available contact information in your records, so you can cure the defect. 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 (local time) with requisite identification on the second day after the election.
9. How do I find out if my provisional ballot was counted?
   • Your Notice of Rights will include instructions on how to find out if your provisional ballot was counted, and if not, the reason(s) why. You should be able to get this information no later than 30 days following the election. (Sections 101.048, Fla. Stat.) Contact information is here.
10. Is it safe to vote in person during the pandemic?
    • Contact your county Supervisor of Election office to find out the safety precautions they have taken to ensure the safety of voters and election poll workers, and what your voting options are in light of your concerns. Contact information is here.
    • The Department has been working diligently and continuously with the 67 county Supervisors of Elections to ensure public safety and well-being consistent with guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control, the Florida Department of Health and the Division of Emergency Management. Up-to-date information on the Covid-19 pandemic can be found at:
      • cdc.gov (Centers for Disease Control)
      • floridahealth.gov (Florida Department of Health)
      • floridadisaster.org (Florida Division of Emergency Management)

1. Am I required to wear a mask to vote?
   • Specific questions regarding mask requirements should be directed to your Supervisor of Elections. Contact information is here.
2. How do I request and vote a vote-by-mail ballot (formerly known as absentee ballot)?
   • For information on how to request a ballot, how to vote a ballot, where to return a ballot, and other information, visit our webpage on Vote-by-Mail.
3. How can I find out about my vote-by-mail ballot request ballot? Where is my ballot?
   • You can track online your vote-by-mail ballot request and ballot. Visit our webpage on Vote-by-Mail for information on How to Track Your Vote-by-Mail Ballot Request and Returned Ballot.
4. I have changed my mind – can I vote in person even though I requested a ballot?
   • However, depending on whether you already returned your ballot and if the supervisor of elections’ office has received your ballot, you may vote either a regular ballot or a provisional ballot. Visit our webpage on Vote-by-Mail for information on How to Vote in Person if You Already Requested a Ballot.
5. What happens if I forgot to sign my vote-by-mail ballot?
   • Visit our webpage on Vote-by-Mail for information on How to Correct a Missing or Mismatched Signature on Your Vote-by-Mail Ballot.
6. How soon should I return my vote-by-mail ballot?
   • Visit our webpage on Vote-by-Mail for information on What is the Recommended Deadline to Return a Vote-by-Mail Ballot.
7. What are the ways I can return my vote-by-mail ballot?
   • Visit our webpage on Vote-by-Mail for information on How to Return a Vote-by-Mail Ballot.
8. Where are secure ballot intake stations? Are secure ballot intake stations secure?
   • Please Visit our webpage on Vote-by-Mail for more information under the header How to Return a Vote-by-Mail Ballot.
9. How can I be sure that my vote-by-mail ballot will count?
   • Keep your vote registration record current and up to date including your signature which is used to compare against a signature on a ballot certificate. In order to find that signatures do not match between a ballot certificate and a voter registration record, the canvassing board must make such determination by a majority vote and beyond a reasonable doubt.
   • Follow carefully the instructions that come with the ballot and envelope  and remember to sign your envelope.
   • Return your voted ballot no later than the deadline for receipt in the Supervisor of Elections’ office. If returning by mail, build in additional time to return the ballot by mail. Other options for return are to deliver in person or to drop off in officially designated secure ballot intake stations in your county. For the location, dates, and times these stations in your county and/or about their security, visit your Supervisor of Elections’ website or contact their office. Contact information is here.
   • Track the return of your ballot in advance of Election Day to ensure that your ballot has been received. You can track online your vote-by-mail ballot request and ballot. Any voter who has requested a vote-by-mail ballot can track online the status of his or her ballot from the date of request through its return to the Supervisor of Elections’ office. Visit your county Supervisor of Elections’ website or contact their office directly if you are unable to find the information for which you are looking.
10. What should a voter do if intimidated or threatened by text, phone, email, or in person?
    • Provisions exist in law, including not limited to, for felony offenses for deprivation of or interference with voting (Section 104.0515, Stat.), intimidation and suppression (Section 104.0615, Fla. Stat.), influencing or interfering with voting (Section 104.061, Fla. Stat.), threatening to control votes of employees (Section 104.081, Fla. Stat.). Contact immediately your local law enforcement, Supervisor of Elections’ office, and/or the Division of Elections (and file an election fraud complaint).
11. Can I vote if I am a convicted felon?
    • In order to register to vote and/or vote in Florida, you must not be convicted of a felony or if you have, you must have had your voting rights restored.
      • If convicted of murder or felony sexual offense, voting rights in Florida can only be restored through clemency pursuant to section 8, Art. V of the Florida Constitution. To apply for clemency, search for grant of clemency and certificates, and/or find out more information about clemency, visit the website for the Florida Commission on Offender Review.
      • If convicted of any other felony offense, voting rights are restored upon completion of all terms of a sentence including parole or probation pursuant to section 4., Art. VI of the Florida Constitution. Such convicted felon may alternatively apply for clemency to restore voting rights.
    • For more information, please refer to specific questions on our web page entitled Amendment 4: Standards Governing Eligibility to Vote After a Felony Conviction.
      • You may also contact your Supervisor of Elections’ office for any other questions about your registration or voting status. Contact information is here.

1. Can I vote if I am a lawful permanent resident?
   • Only U.S. citizens can register or vote in Florida. 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.
2. Can I vote if I have dual citizenship?
   • Yes, as long as you have U.S. citizenship and are otherwise properly registered and eligible to vote, you can vote.
3. If I am a victim of violence, how can I vote and still keep my address and other identifying information confidential?
   • Florida has a program though the Florida Attorney General’s Office that allows victims of actual or threatened domestic violence or stalking, to register for address confidentiality and other identifying information. The Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) will provide a participant with 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.
   • Once registered as an ACP participant, the person can register to vote or if already registered to vote, to obtain continuing address confidentiality as a registered voter. The ACP participant must provide the ACP certificate/authorization form to the county Supervisor of Elections’ office. If the ACP participant is a new registered voter, the 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 the ACP participant is already a registered voter, the 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 Supervisor of Elections will send your vote-by-mail ballot to you via the Attorney General’s ACP program and they will forward you the ballot using the substitute address that the ACP gave you. You do not and should not go to the polls to vote.
4. Where can I find a list of candidates for an upcoming or prior election?
   • Visit our webpage on Candidates, Campaign Documents and Committees and search for a list of candidates that file with the Division of Elections.  To find what contests (candidates and issues) will appear on your ballot, visit your Supervisor of Elections’ website or contact your Supervisor of Elections’ office. Contact information is here.