Secretary Detzner Announces Upcoming August 1 Voter Registration Deadline for Florida’s Primary Election

Tallahassee –

Secretary of State Ken Detzner released the following statement prior to the upcoming Primary Election on Tuesday, August 30, 2016:

“I encourage all eligible voters to check their voter registration status before Monday, August 1, which is the deadline for Floridians to register to vote or update their party affiliation to be in effect for the Primary Election,” said Secretary of State Ken Detzner. “While Florida is a closed primary state, voters should be aware that there will be a constitutional amendment on the ballot that all voters can vote on, regardless of party affiliation. In addition, there may be other local nonpartisan races on the ballot. Voters in need of more information are encouraged to use the Department’s new Voter Education Toolkit available on YourVoteFlorida.com or contact their Supervisor of Elections for more information.”

Floridians have several options to exercise their right to vote – vote-by-mail (formerly known as absentee) voting, early voting, or voting at the polls on Election Day. Voters are encouraged to double check their voter registration information, update their signatures, and be aware of the following deadlines in advance of the Primary Election on Tuesday, August 30:

• Individuals not registered to vote in the State of Florida must submit a completed voter registration application by Monday, August 1, in order to participate in Florida’s Primary Election.

• Voters who are already registered, but want to update their political party affiliation, must update their voter registration information by Monday, August 1, in order to have the change in effect for Florida’ Primary Election.

• Floridians can check their current voter registration status and polling place by using the State of Florida Voter Lookup tool available on the Division of Elections website at elections.myflorida.com/CheckVoterStatus.

• An update to a voter’s signature for provisional and vote-by-mail (formerly absentee) ballot verification purposes for the Primary Election must be submitted no later than the start of the canvassing of vote-by-mail ballots, which may start as early as August 15, 2016.

• If already registered, Florida voters may update their name and address on their registration at any time by notifying their local Supervisor of Elections. Voters are encouraged to make those updates as soon as possible.

Additional information, including how to contact your local Supervisor of Elections, check your voter registration status, and find upcoming election dates, is available on YourVoteFlorida.com.

###

About ‘Get Ready. Get Set. Vote!’

In 2016, the Department of State is leading an effort to help educate voters through its Get Ready. Get Set. Vote! campaign which provides key voting-related information and resources in one central location on YourVoteFlorida.com. The webpage will be updated to communicate key voter registration and voting information throughout the 2016 election cycle and is also available in a Spanish version.

About the Division of Elections

The Florida Department of State’s Division of Elections supports the Secretary of State, Florida’s Chief Election Officer, in ensuring that Florida has fair and accurate elections. The Division’s three bureaus; the Bureau of Election Records, Bureau of Voter Registration Services, and Bureau of Voting Systems Certification, have several responsibilities in the areas of legal compliance and elections administration to ensure that Florida’s election laws are uniformly interpreted and implemented. The Division also assists local Supervisors of Elections in their duties, and promotes enhanced public awareness and participation in the electoral process. For more information about Florida’s elections, visit dos.myflorida.com/elections/.

*Pursuant to Chapter 2016-37, Laws of Florida, beginning July 1, 2016 the term “Absentee Ballot” has changed to “Vote-by-Mail Ballot” in the State of Florida.