Florida Absentee Voter Guide

Military and overseas voters should check out the Overseas Vote Foundation.  Long Distance Voter's forms and deadlines should only be used by voters with US mailing addresses.

Mail-In Deadlines

General Election: November 4, 2008

• Voter registration: Postmarked by October 6, 2008
• Absentee ballot application: Received by October 29, 2008
• Absentee ballot return: Received by 7pm Election Day

Voter Registration

To register to vote in Florida you must:

• be a citizen of the United States
• be a legal resident of both the State of Florida and of the county in which you seek to be registered
• be 18 years old (you may preregister if you are 17)
• not now be adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or any other State
• not have been convicted of a felony without your civil rights having been restored pursuant to law
• not claim the right to vote in another county or state
• swear or affirm the following: “I will protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Florida, that I am qualified to register as an elector under the Constitution and laws of the State of Florida, and that I am a citizen of the United States and a legal resident of Florida”

How to Register to Vote:

Recommended: Use our Voter Registration Widget.  Enter your information, print and sign the completed form, and mail it to the address printed on the form.  If you don't have a Florida license or state ID card, you should include a copy of your identification.

You can also download and fill out Florida's Voter Registration form.  Mail the form to the Supervisor of Elections of your county.  

ID requirements for first-time voters:

If you are a first-time Florida voter and you do not have an Florida driver's license number or Florida identification number, then you must include a copy of your ID with your voter registration form.  If you don't, you'll need to provide ID the first time you vote in person or by absentee ballot.  Acceptable forms of ID include: a copy of a photo ID that shows your name (U.S Passport, employee ID, buyers club ID, debit/credit card, military ID, student ID, retirement center ID, neighborhood association ID, public assistance ID); OR a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or government document that shows your name and Florida address.  

Elderly (65 years or old), disabled, overseas, and military voters are exempt from this requirement.  

Voter registration verification:

You should receive written confirmation that your voter registration was processed in 2-3 weeks.  Don't panic if you never receive your voter registration card: you don't actually need it to vote.  If you not sure if your registration was processed - or if you simply can't remember if you're register to vote - you can verify your voter registration here. 

Absentee Voting

Good news! Any registered Florida voter may vote by absentee ballot.

How to get your absentee ballot:

There is no official absentee ballot application.  You can request an absentee ballot from your county Supervisor of Elections.  Every county lets you request in person, by phone, or by mail.  Many Supervisors of Elections offer an online request form, and some will let you request your ballot by email. Check your county Supervisor of Election's website to see if you can request your ballot online. 

You'll need to give the Supervisor of Elections your name, your home address, your date of birth, your Florida driver's license number (if available) and the address where you'd like the ballot mailed.  If you apply via mail, you'll need to sign your request.

You can also ask a member of your immediate family or legal guardian to request your absentee ballot for you.   This person must provide your name, your home address, your date of birth, your Florida driver's license number (if available).  Your requestor must also provide their name, their home address, their Florida driver's license number (if available), their relationship to you, and their signature (if the request is written). 

You can ask your Supervisor of Elections to mail your absentee ballot, or you can ask to pick up your absentee ballot in person.  If you would like your ballot mailed to you, your application must be received by the Supervisor of Elections no later than 5 p.m. on the 6th day before the election.

You can pick up your absentee ballot in person beginning five days before the election right up to election day.  You can also designate someone else to pick up your ballot for you.   A designee may only pick up 2 absentee ballots per election (other than his or her own ballot and ballots for members of his or her immediate family). Designees must provide the following information to the Supervisor of Elections: a written authorization from the voter; a picture identification; and a signed affidavit.

ID requirements for absentee voters:

You do not need to provide ID if you have already voted in Florida at least once.  If you are a first-time Florida voter who registered by mail, and you did not include your Florida driver's license number or Florida identification card number on your voter registration form, then you must provide a copy of your identification with your absentee ballot application.  Acceptable forms of ID include: a copy of a photo ID that shows your name (U.S. Passport, employee ID, buyers club ID, debit/credit card, military ID, student ID, retirement center ID, neighborhood association ID, public assistance ID) OR a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or government document that shows your name and Florida address. 

Absentee ballot directions:

Once you mark your ballot, seal it and return it to your county Supervisor of Elections . You may not return your voted ballot to a polling place.

If you change your mind and decide you want to vote in person, you must bring your absentee ballot (voted or not) with you to the polls so it can be destroyed.  If you forget the ballot, you'll have to vote a provisional ballot. 

State Contact Information