PRESS RELEASE: Secretary Byrd Issues Election Readiness Update for General Election Day on November 5

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. –

Today, Secretary of State Cord Byrd issued the following statement prior to Florida’s General Election on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

“Preparations for Election Day on Tuesday, November 5 are in place and the Florida Department of State is ready to ensure every step of the election is conducted according to Florida law,” said Secretary of State Cord Byrd. “We are also prepared to support all 67 of Florida’s Supervisors of Elections in their efforts to run a smooth and orderly election. I encourage all registered voters who have not already done so, to verify their polling location and make plans to vote before the polls close on Tuesday at 7 p.m. local time. The Department will report preliminary unofficial election results from the counties beginning at 8:00 p.m. eastern time at FloridaElectionWatch.gov.”

Key Information for Florida Voters

Counties Impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton: Executive Order 24-212 and Executive Order 24-234 issued by Governor Ron DeSantis on October 3, 2024 and October 16, 2024 respectively, are still in effect. Secretary Byrd and the Division of Elections are in close communication with the respective Supervisors of Elections in these counties to ensure that provisions of the executive orders are followed.

Voting at the Polls on Election Day: The polls are open on Election Day from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. local time. Any voters waiting in line at 7:00 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 their Division’s Check Your Voter Status webpage.

Hurricanes Helene and Milton: For voters affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, contact your Supervisor of Elections for information about the location of your polling place.

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 (the ID must include a photo):

• 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 5, preliminary unofficial election results for Florida’s Primary Election will be available on the Florida Election Watch website at FloridaElectionWatch.gov. Florida has two time zones (Central and Eastern). Therefore, although polls close at 7:00 p.m. local time, Florida Election Watch will not publish preliminary unofficial election results until 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Voter Turnout: On Election Day, the public and media may track hourly voter turnout on the county level and the state level from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. (local 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.

Additionally, counties will be making available on their respective websites, the number of vote-by-mail ballots received, and the number of vote-by-mail ballots not yet counted on an hourly basis starting at 7:00 p.m. local time, while the county canvassing board is actively counting.

Book closing (Registration Deadline) Reports: On October 7, 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 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.

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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.fl.gov/elections.