Voter FAQs

Your voted ballot has to be received by your county elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, November 3. A postmark does not count, so mail it at least a week ahead or drop it off in person. Before you send it, sign and date the return envelope. If there’s a problem, your county will contact you, and you will have a chance to fix it.

You can drop your ballot off at a staffed secure intake station at any early voting site or at a Supervisor of Elections office, during their open hours. Florida does not use 24-hour drop boxes.

Where to drop off your ballot: Pinellas · Hillsborough · Pasco

Check your mail ballot status: Pinellas · Hillsborough · Pasco

If you received a mail ballot but didn’t return it, you can still vote in person during early voting or on Election Day. Bring the unvoted mail ballot with you if you still have it so it can be canceled and you can vote a regular ballot. If you no longer have it, you can still vote.

Bring a current, valid photo ID that shows your signature. A Florida driver license, Florida ID card, U.S. passport, or military ID all work, and several other IDs are accepted as well (full list). If your photo ID doesn’t show your signature, bring a second ID that does. If you don’t have proper ID, you can still vote a provisional ballot, and it counts as long as you’re eligible, you voted in the correct precinct, and your signature matches your registration record.

A few things are always true at the polls:

• If you’re in line when polls close at 7 p.m., stay in line. You have the right to vote.
• If you make a mistake on your ballot, ask for a new one.
• If the voting machines are down, ask for a paper ballot.

If anything goes wrong, call the nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline:

• English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)
• Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (1-888-839-8682)
• Arabic: 1-844-YALLA-US (1-844-925-5287)
• Asian languages (Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali): 1-888-274-8683

First, ask the poll worker to confirm you’re at your assigned polling place. Being at the wrong precinct is the most common reason a name doesn’t come up. If they still can’t find you, or someone challenges your eligibility, you have the right to vote a provisional ballot. Ask for one.

A provisional ballot counts as long as you’re eligible, you voted in the correct precinct, and your signature matches your record. You’ll get a written notice of rights with instructions to check whether it was counted. If there’s a question about your eligibility or signature, you have until 5 p.m. on the second day after the election to provide what’s needed for it to count. If the problem is your address, see “What if I recently moved?” below.

Yes. In Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, the elections office is required to provide Spanish-language assistance and materials, including ballots, forms, and notices. Pasco is not covered by that federal requirement, so Spanish materials there may be more limited. In every county, if you have trouble reading or understanding English, you can bring someone of your choice to help you vote, with a few exceptions such as your employer or a union representative. You can also register and update your information in Spanish at RegistertoVoteFlorida.gov. For live help, reach a Spanish-speaking Election Protection volunteer at 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (1-888-839-8682).

Update your registration with your new address as soon as you can, and before the October 5 deadline, at RegistertoVoteFlorida.gov. Doing it ahead saves you time at the polls. If you didn’t update in time, you can still vote: if your new address is in the same precinct, you can cast a regular ballot, and if it’s in a different precinct, the poll worker will direct you to the correct polling place, where you can update your address and vote.