All voters in Florida have the option to Vote-by-Mail in each election. Read below for information on how to request and return your Vote-by-Mail ballot. Military and overseas voters, also known as “UOCAVA voters,” have special Vote-by-Mail options. Please visit our Military and Overseas Citizens Voting page for additional information.
New Envelopes and Free Postage
Starting with the 2024 Primary Election, we are using new Vote-by-Mail ballot envelopes that include free postage. You no longer need to use a stamp to return your ballot through the mail. You can view the new envelope designs here.
How Do I Request a Vote-By-Mail Ballot?
You can request your Vote-by-Mail ballot using any of these options:
You do not need an excuse or reason to Vote-by-Mail. A single request is good for all elections though the end of the current election cycle. The deadline to request that we mail you a Vote-by-Mail ballot is 5 p.m. on the 12th day before Election Day. However, you can pick up a Vote-by-Mail ballot in-person up to and including Election Day.
We will mail your ballot to the address in your voter registration record. If you have a mailing address on file, we will use that instead. Please make sure your voter registration information is up to date, as the Post Office will not forward your ballot. Instead, it will be returned to our office as undeliverable mail and cancels your Vote-by-Mail ballot request. If you need to update your residential or mailing address, please visit the Update my Registration page.
When Will I Receive My Vote-By-Mail Ballot?
If you have a Vote-by-Mail ballot request on file, we will mail your ballot about a month before Election Day. If you request a ballot after this first mail out, we will mail your ballot within two business days of receiving your request.
Can I Pick Up my Vote-By-Mail Ballot in Person?
You can pick up your own Vote-By-Mail ballot from our office. This is available starting as soon as the ballots become available, around 30 days before Election Day, and extends through Election Day itself. If you pick up a Vote-by-Mail within 10 days of Election Day, you will need to complete an Form for Personal Delivery of Vote-by-Mail Ballot and list an emergency that prevents you from voting in person.
Can Someone Pick-up My Ballot for Me?
You can designate a person to pick up your Vote-by-Mail ballot for you from our office or an Early Voting site. You need to have a Vote-by-Mail ballot request on file for the election, or submit a request as part of the pick-up using a Statewide Vote-by-Mail Ballot Request Form.
Both you and the person who will be picking up the ballot for you need to fill out a Form for Personal Delivery of Vote-by-Mail Ballot. If the pick-up is within 10 days of Election Day, you will also need to complete the Emergency Pick-up Affidavit part of the form.
How Do I Complete and Return my Vote-by-Mail Ballot?
You will receive instructions with your ballot. Make sure to sign the certificate on the envelope. In order to count, we must receive your ballot by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Do not insert more return more than one ballot in a return envelope. If you try to return more than one ballot, all ballots will be rejected.
Return by Mail
The United States Postal Service recommends that you mail your ballot at least one week before Election Day to ensure that it will be received in our office by Election Day.
Starting with the 2024 Primary Election, the Elections Office is prepaying the postage on returned Vote-by-Mail ballots. So, you do not need to use a stamp!
You can also enclose your ballot and signed certificate in a separate envelope and send by USPS Priority Mail, FedEx, UPS, or another carrier. If you do this, please send the package to our physical address at 2990-1 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, FL 32301.
Return by Drop Box
You can drop off your voted ballot at our office during business hours, or at a Secure Ballot Intake Station (also known as a drop box) located at each Early Voting site during Early Voting hours. For additional information, please visit our Drop Box page.
You cannot drop-off your Vote-by-Mail ballot at your Election Day polling place. However, the poll workers at your polling place can cancel your Vote-by-Mail ballot. You can then vote in-person.
Why Is my Signature on the Envelope Important?
You must sign the certificate on the Vote-By-Mail ballot envelope. We will compare your signature on the envelope to the signature we have on file in the voter registration system to confirm your identity. If the signature on your Vote-By-Mail ballot envelope is missing or does not match the signature we have on file, we will try to contact you to correct the problem. You will need to complete a Vote-By-Mail Ballot Cure Affidavit and send it to us along with a photocopy of your ID. The deadline to fix the signature issue is 5 p.m. on the Thursday after Election Day.
Signature Update
Signatures change over time. You should update your signature on file with our office every few years. We must receive your signature update before we receive your ballot in order for us to use that updated signature in that election. Visit the Update Your Registration page for information on how you can update your signature.
What if I Requested a Vote-by-Mail Ballot but I Want to Vote In-Person Instead?
As long as you have not yet returned your Vote-by-Mail ballot, you can still choose to vote in person.
How Can I Check on the Status of my Vote-by-Mail Ballot?
You can sign up to receive notifications about your mail ballot’s status through BallotTrax. With BallotTrax, you can receive email or text notifications when your ballot is mailed, when we receive it, and when we count it. You can also track the status of your ballot using the Voter Information Lookup.
Questions?
If you have any questions about voting-by-mail, please contact us and we will be glad to help.