PRESS RELEASE: Florida Secretary of State Issues Emergency Order Suspending Statutory Deadlines for Supervisors of Elections in Counties under State of Emergency for Tropical Storm Nicole

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –

Today, Secretary of State Cord Byrd issued an emergency order suspending important deadlines for those in affected counties to ensure all votes are counted accurately while the state prepares for and responds to Tropical Storm Nicole.

“The Department has been monitoring this storm system for some time and with its imminent approach coinciding with post-election ballot cure and reporting deadlines, we want to do everything we can to ensure that every eligible vote in Florida will count,” said Secretary of State and Chief Elections Officer Cord Byrd.

Under the emergency order, the deadline for county Supervisors of Elections to submit the first set of unofficial elections returns has been delayed from noon on Saturday, November 12, to noon on Monday November 14, in the 45 counties under a state of emergency for Tropical Storm Nicole, and in any additional counties covered by subsequent Executive Orders by the Governor. Additionally, in these counties the deadlines for voters who cast provisional ballots to present written evidence supporting their eligibility to vote and for voters to cure vote-by-mail ballots have been pushed from 5 p.m. on Thursday, November 10, to 5 p.m. on Saturday, November 12.

These 45 counties are actively preparing for potential impacts from the storm, and several have already had ordered office closures and limited evacuations, which would impact the ability of canvassing boards to meet and the ability of voters to provide evidence supporting eligibility if they cast a provisional ballot or provide affidavits supporting the validity of their vote-by-mail ballots. Suspending these statutory deadlines will grant the affected counties and their voters the additional time they need to make sure all votes are counted.

The storm did not impact election night reporting as all counties were able to timely provide their preliminary election night returns to the Department.

Secretary of State Byrd will remain in contact with all Supervisors of Elections as their communities respond to impacts from the storm.

To read the full emergency order, click here.

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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 program administration and 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.