FLORIDA VOTING & CANDIDATE INFORMATION
If your questions aren’t answered below, please email us directly at [email protected]
- GENERAL PUBLIC RESOURCES (Dem and Non-partisan)
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NEW ELECTRONIC BALLOT SOURCE FOR 37 COUNTIES
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FULL STATE/LOCAL BALLOT OR FEDERAL BALLOT? (Intent to return)
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HOW TO VOTE BY FAX USING EMAIL/APP
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VOTING ON THE 3 FLORIDA CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
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FLORIDA SUPREME COURT JUDGES
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COUNTY BY COUNTY RECOMMENDATIONS
- GENERAL FL DEMOCRATS ABROAD RESOURCES
1. GENERAL PUBLIC RESOURCES (Dem and Non-partisan)
County by County League of Women Voters voting guides: https://lwvfl.org/local-leagues/
Check your county/region Democratic party’s website, as they might have made recommendations
Vote 411, run by League of Women Voters Education Fund: https://www.vote411.org
Ballotpedia: https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_elections_2022
2. NEW ELECTRONIC BALLOT SOURCE FOR 37 COUNTIES:
Some people are receiving their ballots via email from “Enhancedballot.com.” More than half of Florida counties (37) are using a service called Enhanced Ballot from a group called Enhanced Voting. According to the company, “through Enhanced Ballot, a voter with disabilities can mark and print their electronic ballot, with or without assistive technology, before returning it in person or by mail per Florida election law. Military and overseas voters may additionally return their ballots to their county election office via fax.” See more at: https://www.enhancedvoting.com/may-24-2022-over-half-of-florida-counties-select-enhanced-votings-accessible-electronic-ballot-delivery-solution/
3. FULL STATE/LOCAL BALLOT OR FEDERAL BALLOT? (Intent to return)
You need to request your ballot every election year, which you can do at votefromabroad.org. In Florida, each county Supervisor of Elections office determines which ballot you receive depending on how you answer the question about whether you plan to return to Florida.
If you choose "intend to return": You are eligible to vote in federal, state and local elections.
(You don't have to have a set date of return and it doesn't have to be within a set time frame, but you do need to have an intention to return at some time in the future.)
If you report that your “return is uncertain” in Florida: You may or may not be eligible to vote in state and local elections, but you can still vote for your US House Representative and US Senator.
NOTE: Many counties in our 2022 survey have reported that they WOULD send a full ballot to "return uncertain" voters. Unfortunately, two of the biggest -- Miami/Dade & Palm Beach -- said they would only send a federal ballot.
MIAMI/DADE NOTE: The Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections limits who can get a full ballot for "overseas residents who are not registered Miami-Dade voters." It goes on to say if you or a family member has a home in Miami-Dade county and your FPCA/ballot request application is received no later than 29 days prior to the election, you will "...become an actual Miami-Dade County voter." However, "If your last address was in Miami-Dade County and you do not currently have a home in Miami-Dade County, you are eligible to receive an Overseas Citizen's Ballot for Federal Elections..." Source: Miami-Dade County/Elections/Vote by Mail/Overseas and Military Voters.
Florida doesn't have an income tax, so there's no tax downside to choosing "intend to return."
4. HOW TO VOTE BY FAX USING EMAIL/APP
Ballots in Florida can be returned via postal mail or FAX. We recommend FAX. You do NOT need a fax machine! You can use a free online version.
NOTE: FVAP.gov (DoD) fax service doesn’t confirm receipt and does not guarantee that they will send your ballot, especially close to the election. There are more reliable options.
DA fax info link: https://www.votefromabroad.org/faqs/BL7
Free online services members have used and liked: https://www.fax.plus/ and https://www.hellofax.com/ (there are many others)
5. VOTING ON THE 3 FLORIDA CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
We don’t give specific recommendations, but we are happy to share resources. If you have other sources for information on the amendments, please let us know at [email protected].
The Florida League of Women Voters gives background and their stance on the amendments (They are neutral on 1 and oppose 2 and 3). Link: https://lwvfl.org/amendments-2022
Palm Beach Democratic Party recommends a “no” vote on all three amendments. See: https://www.pbcdemocraticparty.org/candidates-nov-2022
Tampa Bay Times says no: https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2022/10/06/all-florida-general-election-political-recommendations-times-editorial-board/
6. FLORIDA SUPREME COURT JUDGES
For the Florida Supreme Court justices, five Republican-appointed justices are facing a "merit retention" vote to stay on the court for 6 more years. (You’ll likely need to vote to retain District Judges as well.) While we don’t make recommendations, the Palm Beach County Democratic Party is advising that members vote "no" to retaining all judges *except* Jorge Labarga, who they voted to remain neutral on. Their rationale is that if Crist is elected governor, he’ll have the opportunity to choose new justices.
Below is a list of which governor voted in which judge, via info provided by a Pinellas County democratic leader:
NOTE: All Crist appointments were when he was a Republican governor. Their recommendation is a “no” vote on those appointed by DeSantis and Rick Scott.
- Charles T Canady - Justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Jeb Bush appointed him to the District Court of Appeals and Charlie Crist appointed him to FL Supreme Court
- John D. Couriel - Justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Appointed by Ron DeSantis
- Jamie Grosshans - Justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Appointed by Ron DeSantis
- Jorge Labarga - Justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Appointed to the District Court of Appeals in 2008 and to the Supreme Court in 2009 both by Charlie Crist.
- Ricky Polston - Justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Appointed to the Court of Appeals in 2001 and the Supreme Court in 2008 - both by Charlie Crist.
7. COUNTY BY COUNTY RECOMMENDATIONS
Send us a link to your county’s and we’ll add it, too!
- Florida and Tampa Bay area recommendations from Tampa Bay Times:
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Here is the Manatee County Voting recommendations
- Palm Beach County Democratic Party has endorsements and recommendations online:
- Seminole County Voters' Guide from SemDems
8. GENERAL FL DEMOCRATS ABROAD RESOURCES
Florida Facebook page: where you can post questions and search for previous info