Secretary Detzner Issues Election Readiness Update for General Election on November 6

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –

Florida’s General Election is on Tuesday, November 6 and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. Early voting is available in all counties through Saturday, November 3 and some counties may also offer early voting on Sunday, November 4. Voters in Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Liberty and Washington counties may have additional early voting options through Election Day due to Hurricane Michael.

“I encourage all Florida voters to get to the polls and exercise their right to vote,” said Secretary of State Ken Detzner. “This year’s ballot is long and includes many constitutional amendments so it is critically important that voters review their sample ballot ahead of time. Voters can even fill out their sample ballot and bring it with them into the polling place to make casting their official ballot quick and easy. I also encourage eligible voters to take advantage of early voting in their county to avoid the potential for long lines on Election Day.” 

The Department has information and resources available to help all Florida voters Get Ready. Get Set. Vote! at YourVoteFlorida.com.

Key Information for Florida Voters in Counties Severely Impacted by Hurricane Michael

Under Executive Order 18-283, voters in counties severely impacted by Hurricane Michael in Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Liberty and Washington counties have additional early voting and vote-by-mail options, as well as the option to vote on Election Day. A list of early voting locations, dates and times in these counties, a list of election day voting locations, and contact information for county Supervisors of Elections is available at the Florida Department of State’s Hurricane Michael Election Resources webpage.

Key Information for Florida Voters

Early Voting: Early voting is currently being offered in all Florida counties through Saturday, November 3. Some counties may also offer early voting on Sunday, November 4. Contact the local Supervisor of Elections office for early voting days, hours and locations in each county or visit the Division of Elections’ website. Voters can vote at any early voting location in their county.

Vote-by-Mail: The last day to request that a vote-by-mail ballot be mailed was Wednesday, October 31. Voters can still pick up a vote-by-mail ballot through Monday, November 5 from their local Supervisor of Elections office or, if an emergency exists, on Election Day. Vote-by-mail ballots must be received by the Supervisor of Elections office no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. Additional information for military and overseas voters is available on the Division of Elections website.

Vote-by-Mail Requests on Election Day: If a voter or designee waits until Election Day to pick up a vote-by-mail ballot, the voter must also complete the Election Day Vote-by-Mail Ballot Delivery Affidavit (DS-DE 136 – English PDF / Spanish PDF). The voter must affirm that he or she has an emergency that keeps the voter from voting at his or her assigned polling place.

Voting at the Polls on Election Day: The polls are open on Election Day from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Any voters waiting in line at 7 p.m. will have the opportunity to cast a ballot. On Election Day, voters must vote at their assigned polling place. Voters can find their assigned polling place by looking at their voter information card, contacting their county Supervisor of Elections or using the Division’s Voter Information Lookup webpage.

ID Requirements at the Polls: By law, all voters must provide a current and valid photo ID at the polls during early voting or on Election Day. Any one of the following 12 IDs is acceptable:

• Florida driver’s license
• Florida identification card issued by the Florida 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
• Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
• License to carry a concealed weapon or firearm pursuant to s. 790.06 F.S.
• Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the federal government, the state, a county or a municipality.

If the voter’s photo ID does not include a signature, the voter will be asked to provide another ID with a signature. If the voter does not bring a proper ID, he or she can still vote a provisional ballot. The provisional ballot will count, provided the voter is eligible, voted in the proper precinct, and the signature on the provisional ballot certificate matches the signature in the voter’s registration record

Election Results & Statistics

Election Results: On Tuesday, November 6, preliminary unofficial election results for Florida’s General Election will be available on the Florida Election Watch website at https://floridaelectionwatch.gov. Although polls close at 7 p.m. local time, Florida has two time zones (Central and Eastern) and results will not be posted to the Florida Election Watch website until 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

Early Voting and Vote-by-Mail Ballot Statistics: The Division of Elections is providing daily early voting and vote-by-mail ballot statistics. These statistics are compiled from reports last filed by the Supervisor of Elections for each county. To access these statistics, please visit the Division of Elections Vote-by-Mail Request & Early Voting Statistics webpage.

Bookclosing (Registration Deadline) Reports: On October 9, voter registration books closed for the General Election. The Division of Elections prepares detailed statistical reports on the number of active registered voters as of the day of bookclosing. The reports are available in Excel and PDF format. To access the current and archived bookclosing reports, please visit the Division of Elections website.

Timeline for Reporting and Certification of Election Results

In Florida, the timeline and procedures by which county canvassing boards report results to the Department of State, and the process by which results are certified, are determined by several provisions in state law. On Election Night, preliminary returns are reported to the Department after polls close and will be available beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on the Florida Election Watch website. Preliminary returns reported to the state on Election Night are not the official election results.

The first unofficial set of returns are due by Noon on Saturday, November 10. If the first unofficial set of returns indicates that a recount is triggered, the Secretary of State will order a machine recount and an announcement will be sent to the media and the public.

Official returns are due to the Department of State from county canvassing boards no later than noon on November 18. The official results will be certified at a meeting of the Florida Elections Canvassing Commission at 9 a.m. on November 20 at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee.

Florida’s timeline for the reporting and certification of election results, which includes the process for possible recounts for any races on the ballot is available in detail on the Division of Elections website.

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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: 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.