Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee Issues Election Readiness Update for General Election on November 3

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –

Florida’s General Election is on Tuesday, November 3 and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. Early voting is available in all counties through Saturday, October 31 and some counties may also offer early voting on Sunday, November 1.

“Exercising the right to vote is the foundation of democracy,” said Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee. “The Florida Department of State and our partners are working diligently to provide an easy, safe and secure environment for Floridians to exercise that right. I encourage Floridians to remain steadfast through this pivotal time in our nation and state’s history, and to take advantage of one of Florida’s many convenient and secure options to cast their ballot. As November 3 approaches, visit the Division of Elections’ website for voter resources.”

Voters should always seek out trusted sources for elections information such as the Florida Department of State or their local Supervisor of Elections. The Department has information on how Floridians and their votes are being protected at FloridaElection2020.gov. 

Key Information for Florida Voters

Early Voting: Early voting is currently being offered in all Florida counties through Saturday, October 31. Some counties may also offer early voting on Sunday, November 1. Contact your local Supervisor of Elections 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 to you was Saturday, October 24. Voters can still pick up a vote-by-mail ballot through Monday, November 2 from their local Supervisor of Elections office or, if an emergency exists, on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Voted 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., local time.  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, or drop off their completed vote-by-mail ballot at their Supervisor’s main or branch office. Voters can find their assigned polling place by looking at their voter information card, contacting their county Supervisor of Elections.

ID Requirements at the Polls: By law, all voters must provide a current and valid photo with signature ID at the polls during early voting or on Election Day. Any one of the following 12 photo 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 3, preliminary unofficial election results for Florida’s General Election will be available on the Florida Election Watch website at FloridaElectionWatch.gov. Because polls close at 7 p.m. local time, and Florida has two time zones (Central and Eastern), results will not be posted to the Florida Election Watch website until all polls are closed at 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 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.

Book Closing (Registration Deadline) Reports: The Division of Elections prepares detailed statistical reports on the number of active registered voters as of the day of book closing. The reports are available in Excel and PDF format. To access the current and archived book closing reports, please visit the Division of Elections’ website.

Timeline for Reporting and Certification of Election Results

The first unofficial set of returns are due to the Department of State from county canvassing boards by Noon on Saturday, November 7. 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 made to the media and the public.

Official returns are due no later than Noon on Sunday, November 15. The official results will be certified at a meeting of the Florida Elections Canvassing Commission on Tuesday, November 17 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.