Provisional Voting

A Provisional Ballot is an alternative voting method for a voter whose eligibility is in question at their polling site. Provisional Ballots provide voters with a back-up option and additional time to provide evidence that shows they are eligible to vote in the election, while also safeguarding against voter fraud. The option to vote a Provisional Ballot is required under state and federal law, see S.101.048, Florida Statutes.

Voters who vote a Provisional Ballot do not place their ballots into the voting machine. Instead, Provisional Ballots are placed in secure envelopes to be delivered to the Supervisor of Elections office for further research and processing.

Reasons for Provisional Voting

• Voter record cannot be located
• Voter did not bring proper identification to the polls
• Voter's eligibility cannot be verified at the precinct
• Voter’s eligibility has been challenged.
• Voter is at the incorrect precinct
• Voter may have already voted in the election.

If you need to vote a provisional ballot, the clerk at the polling site will walk you through the process and provide you with the ballot.

Counting Provisional Ballots

All Provisional Ballots cast are researched and reviewed by Elections Staff.

Voters who voted a Provisional Ballot should provide evidence to support their eligibility to vote in the election to the Elections Office no later than 5 p.m. on the second day after Election Day.

Voters who vote a provisional ballot solely because they forgot to bring ID to the polls do not need to provide evidence of eligibility. Instead, the signature on the Provisional Ballot certificate signed at the polls will be compared to the signature on record with the Elections Office. If the signature matches, the provisional ballot will count.

The Canvassing Board will make a determination to accept or reject each Provisional Ballot based on the research and evidence, including any evidence provided by the voter.

Missing or Mismatched Signature

If the signature on the Provisional Ballot Certificate is missing or does not match the one on file, voters have the opportunity to cure the deficiency. Voters can submit a Provisional Ballot Cure Affidavit [add link to form, available on DOE website] no later than 5 p.m. on the second day after Election Day.

Provisional Ballot Status

Within 30 days of Election Day the Supervisor of Elections office will notify all persons who voted provisionally whether their ballot was or was not deemed valid.

If you were issued a Provisional Ballot, you can check on the status of your provisional ballot at our Provisional Ballot Status page. You will need the Provisional Ballot tracking ID that was given to you at the time you received the Provisional Ballot. If you do not have that information, please contact our office for assistance.