ORLANDO, Fla. – The polls open Tuesday for the midterm elections in Florida. It’s your last chance to cast a ballot for important seats such as Florida governor, U.S. senator and U.S. representative, as well as to make your voice heard on a variety of issues.
Here’s everything you need to know to vote on Election Day in Florida.
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When do the polls open and close?
The polling precincts (where you cast your ballot) open at 7 a.m. local time on Election Day, and they will stay open officially until 7 p.m. local time. However, anyone still in line at 7 p.m. will be allowed a chance to vote.
Remember, if you are still in line at your precinct at 7 p.m. on election night, poll workers have to let you take your turn to vote. Stay in line.
How to find your assigned polling place
On Election Day, everyone who wants to vote must go to their assigned polling precinct, which is based on your home address. You can only vote at the polling place for your current address. If you have not updated your address with your county elections office, you can do that on Election Day at that polling precinct.
To find your polling precinct, head to your county supervisor of elections website linked below.
Don’t see your county listed? The Florida Division of Elections also has links to county voter precinct information on its website.
What you need to bring with you to vote
You must have valid identification with a picture and a signature in order to vote. This does not have to be a Florida-issued driver’s license. Any of the following forms of identification are valid. However, you must be a resident of the county you are trying to vote in.
- Florida driver’s license
- Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
- United States passport
- Military identification
- Student identification
- Retirement center identification
- Neighborhood association identification
- Public assistance identification
If you do not have a proper picture ID, you will be given a provisional ballot, which will allow you to vote and then later provide documents to prove your identity.
Also, if your ID does not have a signature on it, you may be asked to provide more forms of identification.
Aside from that, feel free to bring any materials you need to help you vote, such as a voter guide or a sample ballot. You can also bring a helper if needed because of disability or language barriers.
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Can I turn in my vote-by-mail ballot?
If you still have a vote-by-mail ballot to turn in, you cannot bring it to your polling place and expect it to be counted. You must get it to the county supervisor of elections office by 7 p.m. on election night. Elections supervisors say if you try to drop it off at the precinct, it won’t get to the office in time. This is in accordance with Florida law.
You can, however, surrender your vote-by-mail ballot and then vote with a regular ballot.
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What do I do if there’s a problem at the polls?
If you are running into an issue that is stopping you from voting, be sure to contact a supervisor at your polling place and don’t leave without filling out a provisional ballot.
You can also contact the county supervisor of elections, or the Florida Division of Elections Voter Assistance Hotline at 1-866-308-6739.
We break down issues that could come up at the polls and other ways you can get assistance HERE.
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