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Information 43% Statewide Voter TurnOut Countdown to Election Day 1 yearbefore election FloridaPoll Watcher Rule |
FloridaPoll Watcher Rule
Each party, each political committee, and each candidate requesting to have poll watchers shall designate, in writing to the supervisors of elections, on a form prescribed by the division, before noon of the second Tuesday preceding the election poll watchers for each polling room on election day. Designations of poll watchers for early voting areas shall be submitted in writing to the supervisor of elections, on a form prescribed by the division, before noon at least 14 days before early voting begins. The poll watchers for polling rooms shall be approved by the supervisor of elections on or before the Tuesday before the election. Poll watchers for early voting areas shall be approved by the supervisor of elections no later than 7 days before early voting begins. The supervisor shall furnish to each election board a list of the poll watchers designated and approved for such polling rooms or early voting areas. Designation of poll watchers shall be made by the chair of the county executive committee of a political party, the chair of a political committee, or the candidate requesting to have poll watchers. ___________________________________________ Voter Registration Requirements
Voter Registration Index
Early Voting
Early Votingen Epsañol
What is Early Voting? Early Voting is defined as “casting a ballot in person prior to election day at a location designated by the Supervisor of Elections and depositing the voted ballot in the tabulation system”. The voter uses the same type of voting equipment that is used at the polls on election day. In all elections when there is a state or federal office race, early voting is required. Early voting may be offered in county, municipal and other local elections. How to Early Vote Early voting, at a minimum, must begin on the 10th day before an election that contains state or federal races and end on the 3rd day before the election, and shall be provided for no less than 8 hours and no more than 12 hours per day at each site during the applicable period. In addition, early voting may be offered at the discretion of the supervisor of elections on the 15th, 14th, 13th, 12th, 11th, or 2nd day before an election that contains state or federal races for at least 8 hours per day, but not more than 12 hours per day. Supervisors of Elections designate early voting sites 30 days prior to an election. The supervisor of elections may provide early voting for elections that are not held in conjunction with a state or federal election. However, the supervisor has the discretion to determine the hours of operation of early voting sites in those elections. Voters who want to vote early should present the following at the early voting site:
Absentee Voting
Absentee Votingen Español
What is Absentee Voting? Absentee voting refers to voting a ballot received by mail or picked up by or for a voter who is unable or unwilling to go to the polls to vote during early voting or Election Day. A voter need not be absent from the county of residence or have an excuse in order to vote absentee except on Election Day (see details below). A request covers all elections through the end of the calendar year for the second ensuing regularly scheduled general election. To receive an absentee ballot, the voter or authorized person must contact his or her county Supervisor of Elections. How to Request an Absentee BallotA request for an absentee ballot may be made in one of the following ways:
Who Can Pick Up an Absentee BallotBackA voter can pick up or have delivered his or her own absentee ballot at any time the ballot becomes available, including up to 7 p.m. on Election Day. A voter can also authorize in writing a designee to pick up the ballot for him or her but the earliest the designee can then pick up the ballot is 5 days before Election Day. A designee is limited to picking up 2 absentee ballots per elections (not including his or her own ballot and ballots for immediate family members. Additionally, a designee must submit a completed Affidavit to Pick-up an Absentee Ballot for a Voter (DS - DE 37) English / Español , which includes the written authorization from the Voter. If there is no request on record, the voter also have to submit the request part of the Affidavit. If a voter or designee waits until Election Day to pick up or have delivered an absentee ballot, the Election Day Absentee Ballot Delivery Affidavit (DS - DE 136) English / Español must also be completed in which the voter affirms that he or she has as an emergency that keeps the voter from being able to go his or her assigned polling place instead to vote. How to Vote an Absentee BallotBackInstructions for completing the absentee ballot are included with the ballot. The voted ballot must be returned and received by the Supervisor of Elections no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day. Other return options are available for Military and Overseas voters. If the voter decides to go to the polls to vote instead, the voter should bring the absentee ballot (whether it has been marked or not). Even if the voter comes to the polls without the absentee ballot, the voter will still be able to vote a regular ballot if the supervisor of elections' office is able to confirm that it has not received the voter's absentee ballot. However, if it is confirmed that the voter have already voted an absentee ballot, the voter cannot vote again at the polls. If the voter believes or insists that the supervisor of elections' office is wrong about receiving the absentee ballot or if the supervisor of elections' office cannot confirm that the voter has already voted an absentee ballot, the voter is allowed to vote a provisional ballot. How to Correct a Missing Signature on Your Absentee BallotBackIf you forgot to sign your certificate with the returned absentee ballot, you may still have the opportunity to correct the omission by completing and returning "Omitted Signature Affidavit for Absentee Ballot" with a copy of an identification (DS – DE 139, eff. 9/2014) (DS – DE 139, eff. 9/2014) English / Español. The deadline to submit the Affidavit, however, is no later than 5 p.m. on the day before the election. Failure to the instructions carefully may cause your ballot not to count. How to Track Your Absentee Ballot Request and Returned BallotBackAny voter who has requested an absentee ballot can track online the status of his or her absentee ballot through a link within the Division of Elections' Voter Information Lookup or through the Supervisor of Elections' website. __________________________________________ Election Code
Florida Laws and ProceduresLaws and ProceduresSome of the following documents may be downloaded in Word format, Postcript format or PDF format for viewing or printing. Accessing documents in PDF format requires use of Foxit Reader or Adobe's Acrobat Reader, which may be installed free of charge by clicking on the link. Note: Foxit Reader works best when viewing campaign documents. Election LawsBackOpinionsBack
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Election Schedule
Calendar of Election Dates 2015-2016 Dates to Remember 2014 Campaign Finance Reporting Dates 2016 Election Day Dates
2016 Candidate Qualifying Period
County: Alachua Baker Bay Bradford Brevard Broward Calhoun Charlotte Citrus Clay Collier Columbia Desoto Dixie Duval Escambia Flagler Franklin Gadsden Gilchrist Glades Gulf Hamilton Hardee Hendry Hernando Highlands Hillsborough Holmes Indian River Jackson Jefferson Lafayette Lake Lee Leon Levy Liberty Madison Manatee Marion Martin Monroe Miami-Dade Nassau Okaloosa Okeechobee Orange Osceola Palm Beach Pasco Pinellas Polk Putnam Santa Rosa Sarasota Seminole St. Johns St. Lucie Sumter Suwannee Taylor Union Volusia Wakulla Walton Washington Year: 2015 2014 2013 ___________________________ Election Observer Requirements
The 2014 Florida Statutes Title IX ELECTORS AND ELECTIONS Chapter 101 VOTING METHODS AND PROCEDURE View Entire Chapter 101.131 Watchers at polls.--(1) Each political party and each candidate may have one watcher in each polling room or early voting area at any one time during the election. A political committee formed for the specific purpose of expressly advocating the passage or defeat of an issue on the ballot may have one watcher for each polling room or early voting area at any one time during the election. No watcher shall be permitted to come closer to the officials’ table or the voting booths than is reasonably necessary to properly perform his or her functions, but each shall be allowed within the polling room or early voting area to watch and observe the conduct of electors and officials. The poll watchers shall furnish their own materials and necessities and shall not obstruct the orderly conduct of any election. The poll watchers shall pose any questions regarding polling place procedures directly to the clerk for resolution. They may not interact with voters. Each poll watcher shall be a qualified and registered elector of the county in which he or she serves. (2) Each party, each political committee, and each candidate requesting to have poll watchers shall designate, in writing to the supervisors of elections, on a form prescribed by the division, before noon of the second Tuesday preceding the election poll watchers for each polling room on election day. Designations of poll watchers for early voting areas shall be submitted in writing to the supervisor of elections, on a form prescribed by the division, before noon at least 14 days before early voting begins. The poll watchers for polling rooms shall be approved by the supervisor of elections on or before the Tuesday before the election. Poll watchers for early voting areas shall be approved by the supervisor of elections no later than 7 days before early voting begins. The supervisor shall furnish to each election board a list of the poll watchers designated and approved for such polling rooms or early voting areas. Designation of poll watchers shall be made by the chair of the county executive committee of a political party, the chair of a political committee, or the candidate requesting to have poll watchers. (3) No candidate or sheriff, deputy sheriff, police officer, or other law enforcement officer may be designated as a poll watcher. (4) All poll watchers shall be allowed to enter and watch polls in all polling rooms and early voting areas within the county in which they have been designated if the number of poll watchers at any particular polling place does not exceed the number provided in this section. (5) The supervisor of elections shall provide to each designated poll watcher, no later than 7 days before early voting begins, a poll watcher identification badge that identifies the poll watcher by name. Each poll watcher must wear his or her identification badge while in the polling room or early voting area. History.--s. 3-D, ch. 22018, 1943; s. 5, ch. 26870, 1951; s. 18, ch. 29934, 1955; s. 6, ch. 65-380; s. 13, ch. 77-175; s. 3, ch. 87-184; s. 14, ch. 87-363; s. 18, ch. 89-338; s. 555, ch. 95-147; s. 61, ch. 2001-40; s. 28, ch. 2005-277; s. 27, ch. 2011-40. Note.--Former s. 100.45. ___________________________ Voting Systems
About Voting SystemsA voting system is a method of casting and processing votes that functions wholly or partly by use of electromechanical or electronic apparatus or by use of marksense ballots and includes, but is not limited to the procedures for casting and processing votes and the programs, operating manuals, supplies, printouts, and other software necessary for the system’s operation [Section, 97.021(44), F.S.]. A voting system configuration, certified for use in Florida, consists of a specific set of hardware and software components that as a whole, meets the requirements of Florida Statutes and the Florida Voting System Standards. A voting system configuration has three main elements: the election management system, the precinct count system, and the central count system. Effective, January 1, 2014, Section 101.5605(3), Florida Statutes, requires persons submitting voting systems for approval or vendors of such systems to provide the Florida Department of State with information about their registered agents, who must maintain an office in the state. Any person owning or interested in an electronic or electromechanical voting system may submit it to the Department of State for examination. The Florida Voting System Standards provides a guide for applicant to seek voting system’s approval. Information forwarded to the Department for review is subject to public inspection and copying pursuant to Florida’s broad public records law, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. If any information that you forward to the Department constitutes a trade secret, or is otherwise confidential or exempt from the public records disclosure requirements of Chapter 119, you must designate such information as trade secret, confidential, or exempt by adequately marking the materials prior to submitting them to the Department. If you have any questions regarding the designation and marking of such materials, please contact the Department before you submit them. It is your obligation to maintain the secrecy of trade secrets and other confidential information by adequately marking such materials before they are forwarded to the Department. The links in the box on right provide information about Florida’s certified voting systems and the form for a vendor to provide their registered agents. ___________________________________________ County Officials
Find your Supervisor of Elections by Map or Find by List Click on your county in the map below to view your Supervisor of Elections The 2014 Florida Statutes
Title IX ELECTORS AND ELECTIONS Chapter 101 VOTING METHODS AND PROCEDUREView Entire Chapter101.131 Watchers at polls.--(1) Each political party and each candidate may have one watcher in each polling room or early voting area at any one time during the election. A political committee formed for the specific purpose of expressly advocating the passage or defeat of an issue on the ballot may have one watcher for each polling room or early voting area at any one time during the election. No watcher shall be permitted to come closer to the officials’ table or the voting booths than is reasonably necessary to properly perform his or her functions, but each shall be allowed within the polling room or early voting area to watch and observe the conduct of electors and officials. The poll watchers shall furnish their own materials and necessities and shall not obstruct the orderly conduct of any election. The poll watchers shall pose any questions regarding polling place procedures directly to the clerk for resolution. They may not interact with voters. Each poll watcher shall be a qualified and registered elector of the county in which he or she serves. (2) Each party, each political committee, and each candidate requesting to have poll watchers shall designate, in writing to the supervisors of elections, on a form prescribed by the division, before noon of the second Tuesday preceding the election poll watchers for each polling room on election day. Designations of poll watchers for early voting areas shall be submitted in writing to the supervisor of elections, on a form prescribed by the division, before noon at least 14 days before early voting begins. The poll watchers for polling rooms shall be approved by the supervisor of elections on or before the Tuesday before the election. Poll watchers for early voting areas shall be approved by the supervisor of elections no later than 7 days before early voting begins. The supervisor shall furnish to each election board a list of the poll watchers designated and approved for such polling rooms or early voting areas. Designation of poll watchers shall be made by the chair of the county executive committee of a political party, the chair of a political committee, or the candidate requesting to have poll watchers. (3) No candidate or sheriff, deputy sheriff, police officer, or other law enforcement officer may be designated as a poll watcher. (4) All poll watchers shall be allowed to enter and watch polls in all polling rooms and early voting areas within the county in which they have been designated if the number of poll watchers at any particular polling place does not exceed the number provided in this section. (5) The supervisor of elections shall provide to each designated poll watcher, no later than 7 days before early voting begins, a poll watcher identification badge that identifies the poll watcher by name. Each poll watcher must wear his or her identification badge while in the polling room or early voting area. History.--s. 3-D, ch. 22018, 1943; s. 5, ch. 26870, 1951; s. 18, ch. 29934, 1955; s. 6, ch. 65-380; s. 13, ch. 77-175; s. 3, ch. 87-184; s. 14, ch. 87-363; s. 18, ch. 89-338; s. 555, ch. 95-147; s. 61, ch. 2001-40; s. 28, ch. 2005-277; s. 27, ch. 2011-40. Note.--Former s. 100.45. Copyright © 1995-2015 The Florida Legislature • Privacy Statement • Contact Us |