Florida voting issues

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Election and registration information

Early voting

What is Early Voting?

Voters may vote in person by casting a ballot prior to election day. The voter will use the same type of voting equipment that is used at the polls on election day. Early voting begins 15 days before an election and ends on the 2nd day before an election. During this period, early voting is conducted 8 hours per day on each weekday and for 8 hours in the aggregate for each weekend. Supervisors of Elections designate early voting sites 30 days prior to an election. Early voting will be offered in the main or branch office of the Supervisor of Elections. They may also designate any city hall or public library geographically located so that all voters in the county will have an equal opportunity to cast a vote. Contact your Supervisor of Elections for dates, times and locations in your county.

How to Early Vote

Early voting begins 15 days before an election and ends on the 2nd day before an election. During this period, early voting is conducted 8 hours per day on each weekday and for 8 hours in the aggregate on each weekend. Supervisors of Elections designate early voting sites 30 days prior to an election. Early voting will be offered in the main or branch office of the Supervisor of Elections. They may also designate any city hall or public library as an early voting site. Voters who want to vote early should present the following at the early voting site:

  • a valid photo identification; and
  • a signature identification.

Voting at the Polls

  • On Election Day, the polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. and are normally less busy during the mid-morning and mid-afternoon.

If you do not know the location of your polling place, contact your Supervisor of Elections. Also, many Supervisors of Elections have precinct and polling place finders on their web sites to provide you with the information on where to vote.

Voter ID requirements

At the polls, you will be asked to provide a valid picture identification with signature. The following photo ids will be accepted:

  • 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.

If your photo identification does not contain your signature, you will be asked to provide an additional identification that includes a signature.

If you do not have the proper identification, you will be provided with a provisional ballot. Your provisional ballot will count if the signature on the provisional ballot envelope matches the signature on your voter registration application.


Provisional ballots

If you vote a provisional ballot[1] solely because you did not provide an acceptable photo and signature identification at the polls, you do not need to provide any further evidence of your eligibility in order for your ballot to count. You will be provided a written notice of your rights as a provisional ballot voter. (Section 101.048, F.S.) The local canvassing board will simply compare your signature on the provisional ballot certificate with the signature on your voter registration record. If the signatures match, your provisional ballot will be counted.

If you vote a provisional ballot for other reasons (for example, your eligibility is challenged by another person, you are in the wrong precinct when you vote, you do not appear on the precinct register, etc.), you will be provided written notice of your right to present evidence of your eligibility. You must provide the evidence to your respective supervisor of elections no later than 5 p.m, of the second day following the election. (Section 101.048, F.S.) The local canvassing board will examine your provisional ballot certificate and all other information and evidence available. Then based on a preponderance of the evidence, the board will determine whether to count your provisional ballot.

Instructions on how to find out if your provisional ballot was counted, and if not, the reason(s) why, will be contained in your notice of rights handed to you at the time that you vote a provisional ballot. Information as to whether your provisional ballot was counted or not must be made available no later than 30 days following the election. (Sections 101.048(5)-(6), F.S.)

Main article: Provisional voting


Voting machines

2008 election

For the 2008 election Florida used the following voting machines. For a county-by-county list of the specific machines (and the source for this section) see Verified Voting's Verifier tool.

Main article: Voting machines

Direct-Recording Electronic (DRE) machines with a paper trail:

Optical scan machines:

Assistive Devices for Marking Paper Ballots:

Governmental election authorities

Florida Division of Elections

Contact information:

  • Florida Division of Elections
  • Room 316, R.A. Gray Building, 500 Bronough Street
  • Tallahassee, Fl. 32399-0250
  • (850)245-6200

Resources:

  • Voter Assistance Hotline Toll Free 1-866-308-6739

For voting information including voter registration, election dates, early voting, precincts and Supervisor of Elections contact information, M-F 8:00 am - 5:00 pm EST.

  • Voter Fraud Hotline Toll Free 1-877-868-3737

For calls about irregularities or fraud relating to voter registration, voting, voter intimidation, or activities specifically related to petitions, M-F 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST.


Election threats

Summary
  • On voter registration, Common Cause has numerous warnings about Florida's registration preparedness.
  • On voter education, Common Cause rates Florida as "unsatisfactory" in some areas.
  • On absentee and early voting, ... Some early voters report being told they are not registered.
  • On voter suppression and intimidation, Obama supporters report receiving text messages advising they should vote Wednesday to avoid lines. People are reporting receiving calls saying they can "vote by phone" and don't have to go to polls. Many reports of voter purges. No-match laws keeping many voters from registration rolls. Common Cause warns that Florida's preparedness is "unsatisfactory," while the no-match, no-vote law threatens to unfairly remove many eligible citizens from the voting roles.
  • On polling places and voting, Election-day wait times at universities up to five and a half hours. Common Cause warns that Florida's polling place preparedness is "unsatisfactory" in some areas.
  • On provisional ballots,... Common Cause warns that Florida's polling place system for voters in the wrong precinct is "unsatisfactory."
  • On vote verification and security,... (needs information)
Main article: Florida election threats


State and local non-governmental election organizations

Florida Fair Elections Coalition

Contact information:

  • Corporate Office 386-736-8086
  • Susan Pynchon, Executive Director 386-804-3131


Florida Voters Coalition

Description: Florida Voters Coalition's mission is to ensure all eligible voters are provided an equal opportunity to cast a private and independent ballot, have all votes on that ballot recorded and canvassed accurately, and build strong non-partisan alliances with computer scientists, statisticians, election law experts, grassroots election integrity advocacy organizations, and other interested organizations and voters throughout Florida and nationally to further our mission. We believe that working together in coalition makes our voices stronger.[2]

Contact information:

  • Florida Voters Coalition
  • 204 37th Ave. North, #153
  • St. Petersburg, FL 33704

League of Women Voters

LWV of Florida, Ms. Marilynn Wills, President

  • 540 Beverly Court
  • Tallahassee, FL 32301-2506
  • Phone: 850-224-2545
  • Fax: 850-222-4485
  • E-mail: LWVF1@comcast.net
  • http://www.lwvfla.org/

Local Leagues:


The Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition

Description: The Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition (MDERC) is a non-partisan grass-roots organization dedicated to election reform. Our mission is to protect the rights of every eligible voter to cast a ballot and to have that ballot accurately recorded and counted.

Contact information:

  • Lida Rodriguez Taseff, Chair 305-960-2242
  • Sandy Wayland, President 305-297-9921
  • Bobbie Brinegar, D.C. Director bobbie@brinegar.com


Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections


VoteTrustUSA - Florida

This is the Florida page of the national VoteTrust USA organization.

Articles and resources

See also

Election law


References

  1. ↑ Fla provisional ballot info from Division of Elections FAQs.
  2. ↑ From FVC website. Retrieved September 17, 2008.

External resources

Poll location

Election Protection hotlines

Voting information

Voting rights

Voting requirements

Election officials, election reform groups, and elected officials

Absentee voting

Disabled voters

Student voting rights

State ballot

  • See how organizations you trust recommend you vote on ballot measures and other statewide contests at TransparentDemocracy.

Languages

  • Help in other languages from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. 中文, 日本語, 한국어, Tagalog, Tiếng Việt, Español

Voting machines


Voter Protection Laws in A Nutshell

External articles

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