Florida's Primary Election is today, and the general election is about three months away. Will you be able to cast your vote without hassle?
It won't be as easy as it may have been a few years ago.
A string of stricter voting laws have passed in Florida since 2020, in which Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP-led Florida Legislature have reduced drop box numbers and access, increased ID regulations, restricted how many other ballots a person can mail in or drop off besides their own, required voters to request absentee or vote-by-mail ballots twice as often as before, and drastically increased requirements and penalties for third-party voter registration groups, making them ineffective.
Here's how voting will work this year.
Who can vote today in Florida?
Any Florida resident who registered by the deadline who is a citizen of the United States, 18 and older, who has not been adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in any state without having the right restored and has not been convicted of a felony without civil rights being restored may vote.
What do I needtobringto voteinFlorida?
Yes, you must provide a current and valid ID with a photo and signature. Any one of the following is acceptable:
- Florida driver’s license
- Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
- United States passport
- Debit or credit card
- Military identification
- Student identification
- Retirement center identification
- Neighborhood association identification
- Public assistance identification
- Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
- License to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06
- Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality.
If you don't have valid ID you still will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot, which will be counted provided you are eligible to vote, you voted in the correct precinct, and your signature matches the one on file.
What time do polls close in Florida?
The polls are open today, Election Day, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in whatever time zone you live in. Any voters still in line at 7 p.m. will be permitted to cast a ballot however long it takes.
Where is my polling place?
It's listed on your voter registration card, or you can look it up at your county's Supervisor of Electionswebsite. Here's how to find yours.
Can I vote by mail in Florida?
Yes. Youdo not have to provide a reason and there are no eligibility requirements. Vote-by-mail (or absentee) ballotsmust be completed and received by election officials by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Be sure to follow the instructions on the envelope;missing signatures can get your ballot delayed or thrown out.
However, vote-by-mail ballots must be requested every voting cycle. Previously they could be requested through the next two general elections (the next four years).
Also, when you request a mail ballot you must provide your driver's license number, a state-issued ID or the last four digits of your Social Security number, whatever matches what'sin your records, as opposed to simply providing your birthday or signature. This may cause problems for people who do not remember what ID they registered with or older people who registered long enough ago that such documents are not on file.
Can I vote by dropbox in Florida? What is a voter drop box?
Drop boxesare secure metal boxes where you can slip your sealed ballot like mailing a letter. Previously these were placed at various places around the statefor 24/7 use and monitored by elections workers, video surveillance or law enforcement personnel which made voting more convenient for people who couldn't get away during work hours and found it too difficult to navigate crowds and lines to cast ballots.
Now drop boxes may only be at the Supervisor of Election's office or outside early voting sites, open only during early voting hours,and monitored at all times, in person, by an election worker. Apart from the county Supervisor of Election's drop box, all the rest will be limited to 8-12 hours a day.
Failure to physically monitor a drop box can result in a $25,000 fine.
Drop boxes will now likely be fewer in number, in fewer locations, only open for a limited time during the day, and will close the third daybefore an election.
It's estimated that about 1.5 million Floridians used drop boxes during the 2020 general election in what DeSantis at the time called the “smoothest and most successful election of any state,”
No more 'drop boxes':Voting drop boxes are now called 'secure ballot intake stations:' New language will cost taxpayers
When are the 2024 elections in Florida?
Florida's State Primary Election is today, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. The deadline to register to vote in the primary or change your party affiliation was Monday, July 22. The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot was Thursday, Aug. 8.
The State General Election will beTuesday, Nov.5, 2024. The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Monday, Oct.7. The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Thursday, Oct. 24.
When is early voting in Florida?
The early voting period must start on at least the 10th day before the election and end on the third day before the election for a minimum of eight days of early voting, although Supervisors of Elections may expand that if desired. Early voting hours may run from eight to 12 hours per day for each site.
Early voting may be provided for elections without state or federal races, at the supervisor's discretion.
Can someone else drop off my mail-in ballot for me in Florida?
Yes, but they can't drop off verymany.
Florida law now restricts the number of signed, sealed ballots one person maypossess to two besides their own,except immediate family members, and makes violation of this a felony.
Ballot collection, criticized as so-called "ballot harvesting," is where a voter fills out an absentee ballot, seals it with all the required security checks, and hands it to another person to mail it in or drop it off atan authorized location on their behalf.
Criminalizing the practice largely affected third-party, get-out-the-vote programs from political groups, community organizations and churches,or even just friendly neighbors, that helped votersfor whom transportation was a problem. Proponents of this change said it prevented bad actorsfrom throwing away ballots from people of opposingparties, although experts say this is extremely rare and most claims of it have been disproven.
Critics say this change will disproportionately affect minorities and the elderly, and voters who need assistance voting but do not have family available to help.
Ballot harvesting, open primaries, double voting:Explaining the vexing vernacular of elections
How to organize a voter registration drive
Yes, you can collect voter registrations, but youmustregister with the state. You'll need to carefully document each person you help to sign up, you must submit them within 10 days, you must verify that anyone volunteering to help is a citizen and not a felon, you must provide a paper receipt, and you can incur harsh penalties for failing to comply with all regulations.
Third-party community voter registration organizations must now warn applicants that the organization "might not" get their registration in on time. Organizations that fail tosubmit voterapplications within 10 days (previously 14) already incurreda $50 fine for each one, but over the last few years the annual cap on fines has been raised from $1,000 to $250,000.
At the time the laws changed, critics worried that they would have a chilling effect on churches, nonprofits and other third-party organizations that have traditionallyset up registration drives but now feared financial ruin for mistakes or targeted accusations.
It seems that's exactly what happened. Voter registrations through third-party groups were significantly lower in 2023. In 2020, 59,805 people were registered to vote through 3PVRO (3rd party voter registration organizations) but by 2023 that dropped to 5,891.
So far, in 2024 with a general election coming up,only 7,139 voters have been registeredthrough 3PVROs as of June 30.
Can I vote in Florida if I'm homeless?
Yes, if you are otherwise eligible. Check the voter information page on the Florida Coalition to End Homelessness website for more details.
Can convicted felons vote in Florida in 2024?
Maybe, if your voting rights have been restored (check here) and you are fully paid up for any fines or fees incurred or restitution owed. You can get help at the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.
Be aware that this can be extremely confusing to work out and ignorance of your status may not save you from prosecution if you're not actually eligible yet.
Can I register to vote online in Florida?
Yes. Just go to RegistertoVoteFlorida.gov .
How do I check my voter registration in Florida?
You can make sure you're still registered and all the information is correct by going here. Since voter rolls may now be purged annually, you should check your voter status every year well in time to address it before any voting deadlines.
What is 'voter solicitation'in Florida?
Good question. Florida already banned anyone from asking for votes, seeking signatures, taking polls or handing out material within 100 feet of a polling place. Thatwas expanded to 150 feet anddrop box locations were added, and one bill added criminal penalties and fines for anyone "engaging in any activity with the intent to influence or effect of influencing a voter." There is no indication of what activities that might include, such as water or snacks in long lines, orwho decides.
That part of the bill was blocked by a federal judge in 2022 and upheld by an appeals court, although other aspects of the bill regarding drop boxes and voter registration were not.
Contributors: John Kennedy,USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA;Mike Diamond, Palm Beach Post, and Jeff Burlew,Tallahassee Democrat
