ELECTION DATES
A General Election is held in November of every even-numbered year. The Primary Election for nominating party nominees for the General Election is 12 weeks before the General Election. Additionally, a Presidential Preference Primary is held no earlier than the first Tuesday in January and no later than the first Tuesday in March of Presidential Election years. Special elections may be called at any time during the year.
The election dates for 2022 are:
Primary Election……… August 16, 2022
General Election……… November 8, 2022
VOTER REGISTRATION BOOK
You can apply to register to vote at any time. However, to vote in an election, you must be registered in the state by the book closing date, which is normally the 29th day before each election.
The book closing dates for the 2022 election cycle are:
Primary Election…….. July 18, 2018
General Election…….. October 10, 2018
PARTY AFFILIATION
Florida is a closed primary state. If you wish to vote in a partisan primary election, you must be a registered voter in the party for which the primary is being held. However, if all candidates for an office have the same party affiliation and the winner will not have opposition in the general election, all voters, regardless of party affiliation may vote in the primary election for that office. In addition, all registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, can vote on issues and nonpartisan candidates in a primary election.
All party changes must be made by the end of the 29th day before the primary election. For a general election, a party change can be made at any time by contacting the Supervisor of Elections’ office.
HOW TO MAKE NAME, ADDRESS & PARTY AFFILIATION CHANGES
Name Change
When an elector changes his or her name by marriage or other legal process, the elector shall notify his or her Supervisor of Elections or other voter registration official by using a signed written notice that contains the elector’s date of birth or voter’s registration number.
Address Change
When an elector changes his or her residence address, the elector must notify his or her Supervisor of Elections. An address change must be submitted using a Florida Voter Registration Application. However, if the address change is within the state and notice is provided to the supervisor of elections of the county where the elector has moved, the elector may do so by:
Contacting the supervisor of elections via telephone or electronic means; or submitting the change on a voter registration application or other signed written notice. The elector must provide his or her date of birth.
Party Affiliation Changes
When an elector seeks to change his or her party affiliation they shall notify his or her supervisor of elections or other, voter registration official by using a signed written notice that contains the elector’s date of birth or voter registration number.
ABSENTEE VOTING
Florida law allows all qualified voters to request an absentee ballot from the Supervisor of Elections. A member of the voter’s immediate family or legal guardian may also request an absentee ballot for a voter, if directly instructed to do so by the voter. The request can cover all elections through the end of the calendar year for the second ensuing regularly scheduled general election. A request for an absentee ballot to be mailed must be made no later than 5 p.m. on the 6th day before an election. Contact your Supervisor of Elections to request an absentee ballot. Refer to the Division of Elections’ webpage on Absentee Voting for more details.
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 10 days before an election and ends on the 3rd day before any election in which there is a state or federal office race. Early voting may be held for a maximum of 12 hours, but no less than 6 hours, a day. The hours for each day for each early voting site during that period are set at the Supervisor’s discretion. 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. Refer to the Division of Elections’ webpage on Early Voting for more details.
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, Supervisors of Elections have precinct and polling place finders on their web sites to provide you with the information on where to vote.
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 Department of Highway Safety & 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.
Information from the Florida Division of Elections