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 request must include the following information:

  • The voter's name, 
  • The voter’s date of birth, 
  • The voter’s address (A signed written request is required if the address is different that the address on file. An exception exists for absent uniformed service voter or an overseas voter seeking a vote-by-mail ballot.), 
  • The voter’s Florida driver license, Florida identification card, or last four digits of the voter's social security number, whichever may be verified in the supervisor’s records, and
  • The voter’s signature (if the request is written).

Note: Any written request must be made using Form DS-DE 160.

Who Can Request a Vote-by-Mail Ballot

The following persons can request a ballot for a voter:

  • A voter, 
  • The voter's immediate family member (i.e., voter’s spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling), 
  • The voter’s spouse's parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling
  • The voter’s legal guardian, or
  • A designee for a voter with a disability.

If a request is made on behalf of the voter, the following additional information is required:

  • The requestor’s address, 
  • The requestor’s driver license number, state identification card, or the last four digits of the elector’s social security number (if available), 
  • The requestor’s relationship to the voter, and
  • The requestor’s signature (if the request is written).

The statewide vote-by-mail ballot request form (Form DS-DE 160) must be used for a written request.

What is the Deadline to Request that a Vote-by-Mail Ballot be Mailed

The deadline to request that a ballot be mailed is no later than 5 p.m. on the 12th day before the election. A Supervisor of Elections must mail the ballot out within 2 business days after a request but no later than the 10th day before election day.

Who Can Pick Up a Vote-by-Mail Ballot

A voter can pick up their own vote-by-mail ballot at any time once ballots for requests already on file have been mailed, including Election Day.

A voter can designate any person to pick up their ballot. The designee can pick up the ballot once ballots for requests already on file have been mailed. A designee is limited to picking up vote-by-mail ballots for two other voters per election (not including their own ballot and the ballots for immediate family members). An immediate family member refers to the designee's spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or the designee’s spouse’s parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling.

The designee must submit an affidavit to pick-up the voter’s blank ballot. Form DS-DE 162 is a combination form that includes the affidavit for ballot pick-up, the written authorization for the designee and if a request is not already on record, the voter’s request for a vote-by-mail ballot.

If a voter or designee waits until the start of mandatory early voting or up through Election Day to pick up or have delivered a vote-by-mail ballot, a special affidavit must also be completed. The voter must affirm in the affidavit that an emergency exists that keeps the voter from being able to vote at a designated early voting site in his or her county or at his or her assigned polling place on Election Day.  The affidavit is part of Form DS-DE 162.

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.