You must vote at the polling place that is assigned to your precinct on election day. If you vote in the wrong polling place, your vote will not count. You can find your correct precinct and polling location at Am I Registered. If your polling location changes for any reason, we will notify you by mail prior to election day. Polling place changes will also be posted on this website.
Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. As long as you are in line at your assigned polling place at 7 p.m., you will be allowed to vote.
ID Required to Vote
Florida law requires all voters to provide a current and valid photo and signature identification upon check-in at the polling place and prior to voting. Acceptable forms of ID include:
- Florida driver license
- Florida ID card (issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles)
- U.S. passport
- Debit or credit card
- Military ID
- Student ID
- Retirement center ID
- Neighborhood association ID
- Public assistance ID
- Veteran health ID (issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)
- Concealed weapon license (issued pursuant to F.S. 790.06)
- Employee ID card issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the federal government, the state, a county, or a municipality.
If your photo ID does NOT contain your signature, an additional ID with your signature is required.
If you do not bring acceptable ID, you will be allowed to vote a provisional ballot. If your signature on the provisional ballot certificate does not match your signature on file with the elections office, you will need to complete and return a provisional ballot 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. The canvassing board responsible for canvassing the election determines the legality of provisional ballots.
What to Expect at the Polls
- Upon arriving at your polling place on election day, an election worker will ask you to have your photo and signature ID ready to present at check-in.
- When you present your ID, the poll worker will confirm your information and that you are in the correct polling location, ask you to sign the electronic poll book, and issue you a ballot.
- You will be directed to a privacy booth to mark your ballot. Use the black pen provided to completely fill in the oval adjacent to your choice in each race or question on the ballot. Please follow the instructions at the top of your ballot to ensure your votes will be counted.
- Review your selections for accuracy and then take your ballot to the DS200 precinct tabulator and insert the ballot into the optical scan reader. (Important: if you have any questions or make a mistake on your ballot, ask a poll worker for assistance. Once the ballot has been scanned, it cannot be retrieved.)
- The scanner on the tabulator will record your votes and drop your ballot into the secure, locked ballot box.
- See more information about the voting system Manatee County uses here.
Assistance in Voting
Florida Statute 101.051 prohibits anyone from being in the voting booth with any voter except as provided by this section. A voter may request the assistance of two election officials or some other person of the voter's own choice, other than the voter's employer, an agent of the employer, or an officer or agent of his or her union.
If not previously requested, a voter needing assistance by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write must complete an affidavit at the polling location to secure assistance before entering the voting booth.
Thank you for voting!
Note: If you received a vote-by-mail ballot for the election but decided instead to vote in person, you may surrender your VBM ballot at the polling place. A poll worker will cancel the VBM ballot and issue you a regular ballot. You may not drop off a vote-by-mail ballot at the precinct on election day to be counted.