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FLORIDA VOTING & INFORMATION

If your questions aren’t answered below, please email us directly at [email protected].  For more Florida information, please see our News Page.

 

A. HOW TO VOTE FROM ABROAD AS A FLORIDA VOTER

B. NEW ELECTRONIC BALLOT SOURCE FOR 37 COUNTIES

C. FULL STATE/LOCAL BALLOT OR FEDERAL BALLOT (Intent to return)

D. HOW TO VOTE BY FAX USING EMAIL/APP

E. GENERAL FL DEMOCRATS ABROAD RESOURCES

 

A. HOW TO VOTE FROM ABROAD AS A FLORIDA VOTER

Voting from abroad as a Florida voter is easy. Just follow these steps.

1. Register and request your ballot
Go to Vote From Abroad to register and request your overseas ballot. Use the federal form on VoteFromAbroad.org, not the Florida state form. Registering as a voter abroad gives you the extra protections available to overseas voters:

  • You can receive your ballot by email or get it through an online portal.
  • Your ballot is sent earlier: no later than 45 days before Election Day.
  • If your official ballot doesn’t arrive, you can use a backup ballot -  the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot.
  • You can fax your ballot back - no need for mail or expensive courier services.
  • If you return your ballot by mail, it will be counted as long as it’s postmarked by Election Day and arrives within 10 days after Election Day.

2. Receiving your ballot
Requested your ballot be sent by email but cant find it? Check your junk, spam, promotions and trash folders. Ballot emails often get filtered there by mistake. You can also search your whole mailbox for “official ballot” or just “ballot.”

If we’re within 45 days of Election Day and you still can’t find it, contact your county elections office.

3. Print and mark your ballot
Print your ballot and mark your choices. Standard letter (8½ x 11) or A4 paper works best, especially if you’re returning it by fax, but any size is fine as long as your votes are easy to read.

4. Sign and date your Voter’s Oath
Complete, sign and date the Voter’s Oath. The signature line is at the bottom and easy to miss. A missing signature or date is one of the most common reasons ballots get rejected.

5. Return your ballot
We recommend returning your ballot by fax. It’s quick and reliable, and you don’t need a fax machine. The steps below cover fax return. Mail return is covered further down.

  • Use an online fax service. Several free and low-cost services let you upload or email a document and have it sent as a fax. See our guide: Fax Back Your Florida Ballot.
  • Send to your FL county’s fax number. You’ll find it in the instructions that came with your ballot. If you’re using an online service, use this number.
  • About the “secret ballot” notice. Your instructions say that faxing your ballot means you’re voluntarily giving up your right to a secret ballot. All this means is that an election office employee will copy your votes onto a standard ballot so it can be counted. A representative from each major party may watch to make sure it’s copied correctly. How you voted is never made public.
  • Deadline: faxed ballots must arrive by 7:00 p.m. (Florida time) on Election Day.
  • Send it early. Fax lines can be busy close to the deadline.

Here's what the assembled pages look like:

6. If you choose to return your ballot by mail or courier (FedEx or DHL, for example):

  • Place your voted ballot alone in an envelope.  The instructions that came with your ballot may refer to a provided envelope, but this does not apply to email-delivered ballots.  Any envelope will do.  Mark the envelope, "SECRECY ENVELOPE".
  • Place the sealed Secrecy Envelope with your ballot and your signed and dated Voter Oath in the envelope for mailing.  It is permitted to send several ballots in the same envelope / package, but ONLY if all the ballots are for the same county.  If this is the case, each voter's Secrecy Envelope and Voter Oath should be placed in a separate envelope, and then those envelopes can be placed in the mailing package.
  • Address the envelope/package per the instructions that came with your ballot.  Again, if multiple ballots are being returned together, they must all be for the same county election office.  Ballots for another office will NOT be forwarded
  • You may request shipment tracking if you wish, but do NOT require a delivery signature.  Most election offices refuse to sign for packages, and your ballot will not be delivered or counted

    Here's what the assembled package should look like (click to enlarge):

7. Track your ballot.  Regardless of how your return your ballot, it's important to track your ballot on your county election office's website.  You'll find a list in the County Democratic Voter Resources Spreadsheet

8. Monitor your email for notices from your county election office.  If there is any problem with your ballot, they will try to contact you.  If you see that your ballot has been received on the county tracking site, but it does not show as counted after two business days, please contact your election office and ask if there is a problem

9. If for any reason you do not receive your official ballot, or your ballot does not show as received and counted on the county tracking site after a reasonable time, you should submit a federal backup ballot, or FWAB.  The FWAB can be submitted at any time, and if you later receive your official ballot, you should submit it as well.  Submitting an official ballot and a FWAB is NOT considered "double-voting".  More information on the FWAB and how to use it is available at Vote From Abroad

If you have any problems or questions about registering to vote, requesting your ballot, voting, or using the FWAB, please email
[email protected]

 If you would like individualized help with any voting related question or issue, please visit Democrats Abroad's Live Voter Help Sessions.  Schedule information is available at:  Live Voter Support

 

B. NEW ELECTRONIC BALLOT SOURCE FOR 37 COUNTIES:

Ballot email from “EnhancedBallot.com”? It’s legitimate.

Many Florida counties send overseas ballots through a service called Enhanced Ballot, run by a company called Enhanced Voting. If your county uses it, your ballot email won’t have the ballot attached. Instead it will contain a linkto a website where you can view, mark and print your ballot.

Some counties also put a PIN (personal identification number) in the email. You’ll need to enter it to open your ballot, so keep the email handy.

Once you’ve printed and signed your ballot, return it by fax or mail as usual. Overseas voters can return it to their county elections office by fax.

 

C. FULL STATE/LOCAL BALLOT OR FEDERAL BALLOT? (Intent to return)

Request your ballot every election year
Florida voters need to request a new ballot each election year. You can do that at Vote From Abroad.

Your answer about returning to Florida matters
The request form asks whether you plan to return to Florida. Your county elections office uses your answer to decide which ballot to send you:

  • “I intend to return”: You can generally vote in all federal, state and local races. You don’t need a set return date or timeframe.
  • “My return is uncertain”: You can always vote for U.S. President, U.S. Senate and U.S. House. Whether you also get state and local races depends on your county. Some counties may ask whether you live in or own property in the county.

In our 2022 survey, many counties said they would send a full ballot to “return uncertain” voters. If your county sent you a federal-only ballot, please let us know.

Miami-Dade voters
Miami-Dade gives “return uncertain” voters a full ballot only if they have ties to the county. Otherwise you’ll receive a federal-only ballot.

Owning property is one way to show ties, but you don’t need to prove it. The Miami-Dade elections office told us it’s enough to state: “I have ties to Miami-Dade County.” Your statement must be true, but the office will not question you about it.

Having trouble? Email us right away at [email protected].

 Florida doesn't have an income tax, so there's no tax downside to choosing "I intend to return."

 

D. 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.

You'll find all the instructions, and a video on how to do it, here: https://www.votefromabroad.org/faqs/return-ballot-fax

 Free online services members have used and liked: https://www.fax.plus/ and https://www.hellofax.com/  (there are many others)

 

D. GENERAL DEMOCRATS ABROAD RESOURCES