FLORIDA
Election Information
Upcoming Elections
2008 Primary Election: 8/26/08
2008 General Election: 11/4/08
Voter Registration Information
The Lawyers’ Committee and its pro bono law firm partners have compiled comprehensive third-party voter registration guides for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. These guides will help volunteers, organizers, and leaders navigate the complex rules that govern voter registration in each state.
Registration Deadlines
29 days before an election
Specific Deadlines:
- 2008 Primary Election: 7/28/08
- 2008 General Election: 10/6/08
Where to Obtain Registration Forms
- Register Online Now
- Download registration form
Absentee Voting
Absentee voting is allowed if the voter is:
- A qualified voter
- A member of the Armed Forces or a spouse or dependent of a member of the Armed forces
- A U.S. citizen living overseas who will be at least 18 years of age before the next General Election and whose last residence prior to going overseas was in FL
Rules and Deadlines
- Absentee ballots can be found with the supervisor of elections and must be requested by mail, in person, or by phone by at least 5 pm on the sixth day before an election.
- Ballots must be returned to the regional election office by mail, in person, or by fax.
- Ballot must be postmarked ten days before the election or the fax must be received by 7 pm on Election Day.
Early Voting
Yes, for all registered voters beginning 15 days before the election and ending the second day before the election at the County Supervisor of Elections.
Identification Requirements
At registration is required one of the following:
- Current and valid photo identification or
- A current utility bill,
- Bank statement,
- Government check,
- Paycheck
- Other government document that shows the name and address of the elector
At polls
Current and valid picture identification with a signature. Approved forms of picture identification are:
- Florida driver’s license
- Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
- United States passport;
- Employee badge or identification
- Buyer’s club identification
- Debit or credit card
- Military identification
- Student identification
- Retirement center identification
- Neighborhood association identification
- Public assistance identification.
How to check registration
Contact your County Supervisor of Elections
How to locate polling place
Contact your County Supervisor of Elections
Information for felons
Voter is eligible to register once civil rights have been restored.
For more information, go to the Secretary of State’s website.
Learn about Third Party Voter Registration in Florida.
Recent News
April 5, 2007:The Florida State Clemency Board, made up of Gov. Charlie Crist and members of the Florida Cabinet, voted 3-1 to allow most people with felony convictions to regain the right to vote.
Under the new rules, the roughly 80 percent of ex-offenders whose crimes were not considered violent will win automatic rights restoration after the state makes sure they have paid any restitution to victims and have no pending criminal charges. This will affect some 950,000 ex-felons in the state. Previously, most felons who finished prison and probation time had to submit to a lengthy review by the clemency board, which only meets a few times a year and a waiting period if they wanted to regain the right to vote. Sometimes an investigation and hearing are required as well.
In a Break From the Past, Florida Will Let Felons Vote (NY Times, April 5, 2007)
Florida Governor Wins Voting Rights for Ex-Felons (Reuters, April 5, 2007)
August 28, 2006: Florida’s new voter registration law, which severely limited third party voter registration, is declared unconstitutional in a victory for voting rights advocates. We applaud today’s decision by U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz in League of Women Voters v. Cobb helping to secure access to democracy for voters in Florida.
Read the decision here.
The Washington Post, Fla. Registration Law Blocked
August 21, 2006: National Campaign for Fair Elections Director Jonah Goldman discusses Florida’s photo ID law, which went in to effect today for the start of early voting.
St. Petersburg Times, Is photo ID law useless action?
Erroneous Voter Purges: In 2004, the Lawyers’ Committee sent a letter to the Department of Justice asking for an investigation into Florida’ continued discriminatory removal of voters from the registration rolls.
Read our letter here.