VOTE BY MAIL

Requesting Your Ballot

There are several ways to request a vote-by-mail ballot:

  1. Online Mail Ballot Request Service
  2. Call 941-741-3823
  3. In person at our Supervisor of Elections office
  4. By fax, mail or email
    • download fillable form in English
    • download fillable form in Spanish

The supervisor of elections will accept a written, in-person, or telephone request for a vote-by-mail ballot to be mailed to a voter's address on file in the Florida Voter Registration System from the elector, or if directly designated by the elector, a member of the elector's immediate family or legal guardian. Immediate family includes spouse, parent, child, grandparent or sibling of elector or elector's spouse. 

If requesting a ballot be mailed to an address other than the voter's address on file, the request must be made in writing. A written request must be signed by the voter and include the voter's Florida driver license number or Florida ID card number or the last four digits of the voter's Social Security number. 

If requesting a vote-by-mail ballot in writing for someone other than yourself, you must also provide your name, address, your relationship to the voter, your driver license or ID card number, the last four digits of your social security number, if available, and your signature, as well as the voter’s name, address, date of birth, Florida driver license number or ID card number or the last four digits of the voter's social security number, and the address to which the ballot is to be mailed.

A designee also may pick up a vote-by-mail ballot for a voter from the supervisor of elections office beginning nine days before election day but may pick up only two ballots per election, other than his or her own ballot or ballots for members of his or her immediate family. Designees must have written authorization from the voter, present a photo ID and sign an affidavit (English/Spanish).

All requests for a vote-by-mail ballot to be mailed to a voter must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on the 12th day before the election to allow ample time for mailing and return of ballot. 

Important: Vote-by-mail ballots cannot be forwarded so be sure we have your correct mailing address on file. Even if the post office forwards your mail to your summer address, they will not forward vote-by-mail ballots. 

 

Returning Your Ballot

The voter must sign the voter certificate on the ballot return envelope and return the ballot promptly so that it reaches our office no later than 7 p.m. on election day.  (Note: In the event there is an issue with a signature on the certificate, elections staff will try to contact the voter. Therefore, we have provided space on the return ballot envelope for a voter to voluntarily provide his or her email address, and phone number(s). A vote-by-mail ballot will NOT be rejected solely due to the absence of this requested contact information.)  If you return your ballot without signing the ballot certificate or are notified by us that your signature on the certificate does not match your signature on file with the elections office, you will need to complete and return a vote-by-mail cure affidavit (English / Spanish) to the elections office by 5 p.m. on the second day following the election. Please follow the instructions on the form carefully, as failure to do so may cause your ballot not to count.

You may return your vote-by-mail ballot by mail or in person. If you plan to mail, please allow at least a week for your ballot to reach our office. You may also return your ballot in person to a secure ballot intake station at our elections office or at an early voting location during hours of operation. Ballot intake station locations and early voting dates and hours will be posted on this website prior to each election. To track your vote-by-mail ballot from the time your request is processed until the voted ballot is received back in the elections office, click here.

 

 

Military and Overseas Citizens Voting Information

The following information applies if you are a United States uniformed services member on active duty, a Merchant Marine member, spouse or dependent thereof, or a United States citizen residing outside of the United States.

Registration and Vote-by-Mail Ballot Request

You may register to vote and request a vote-by-mail ballot at the same time by using a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).  You may obtain the FPCA fro any Voting Assistance Officer or from the Federal Voting Assistance Program website.  You may also call or request by mail, fax, or email to your county Supervisor of Elections that a voter registration application or a vote-by-mail ballot be sent to you.  

 

Mailing and Tracking of Vote-by-Mail Ballots

Supervisors of Elections must mail vote-by-mail ballots to military and overseas citizens no later than 45 days before each election; however, you may request that your vote-by-mail ballot be faxed or e-mailed to you.   If you include an email address with your vote-by-mail ballot request, you will be notified by email that your request has been received.  You will also be given the estimated date the ballot will be sent to you and let you know when your ballot is received.  

You may track your vote-by-mail ballot request and ballot online click here.

If it is near to Election Day and you still have not received your requested vote-by-mail ballot, immediately contact the Supervisor of Elections office.  

 

Extra Time for Return of Vote-by-Mail Ballots for Certain Elections

For presidential preference primary elections and general elections only and by operation of section 100.191, F.S., special elections and special primary elections, an overseas voter's vote-by-mail ballot postmarked or dated by Election Day and received within 10 days of the elections shall be counted provided the ballot is otherwise proper. 

 

Additional Information and Resources

Further information about the FPCA can be found at the Federal Voting Assistance Program's website at fvap.gov/florida