How to vote early in Florida’s Primary Election

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Leaving work and enduring long lines can be an issue for many Floridians on the Aug. 23 Primary Election Day. That’s why many opt for early or mail-in voting.

Early voting for the Primary Election will take place statewide between Aug. 13 and Aug. 20, though some counties started Aug. 8 and will go to Aug. 21. During that time there must be eight hours to vote early, but no more than 12 hours. Early voters can vote at any polling place in their county.

To be eligible to vote, one must be a legal citizen of the United States and the state of Florida. One also needs to be a legal resident of their county. A convicted felon may not vote until they have had their rights restored.

Voters will need to bring their Florida driver’s license or Florida identification card with the issue date and a signature. There are 12 different forms of acceptable IDs, which can be found here.

Drop boxes, now called secure ballot intake stations, will be on-site at polling places, but are not on-site at polling locations on Election Day.

Voters can also vote early by mail. Aug. 13 is the deadline to request a mail-in ballot.  Vote-by-mail ballots can be requested online, by phone or in person at Supervisor of Elections offices.

To request a mail-in ballot, voters must provide their Florida driver’s license or Florida ID card. They can also provide the last four digits of their Social Security number.

According to the Division of Elections website, the deadline to request a mail-in ballot is by 5 p.m. 10 days before the election. A Supervisor of Elections must mail out the ballot within two business days of the request. The deadline for Elections Supervisors to mail out ballots is eight days before the election.

The deadline for an Elections Supervisor to receive a mail-in ballot is by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

For more information on early voting, voters can visit their Supervisor of Elections Office.