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Absentee Ballot

Who Can Vote Absentee
All qualified voters are permitted to vote absentee under Florida law.

Deadline to Request an Absentee Ballot
A request for an absentee ballot to be mailed to a voter must be received in the elections office no later than 5 p.m. on the sixth day before an election.

Requesting an Absentee Ballot
An absentee ballot may be requested by a voter in person, by mail, e-mail, fax or by phone.  One request can cover all elections within a calendar year.  Only the voter or a designated member or his or her immediate family or legal guardian can request an absentee ballot for the voter.  Immediate family means the designee’s spouse, parent, child, grandparent or sibling of the designee or of the designee’s spouse.

The voter requesting an absentee ballot must disclose:

• The voter's name
  
• The voter's address
  
• The voter's date of birth
  
• The voter's signature (written requests only)

If the voter's immediate family member or legal guardian is requesting an absentee ballot for a voter, that person must disclose the above information about the voter as well as the following:

• The requester's name
  
• The requester's address
  
• The requester's driver's license number (if available)
  
• The requester's relationship to the voter
  
• The requester's signature (written requests only)

Marked ballots must be mailed or delivered in person reaching the supervisor of elections’ office not later than 7 p.m. on the day of the election. Do not return your voted absentee ballot to a polling place.

A designee may pick up an absentee ballot for a voter on Election Day or 4 days before Election Day. A designee may only pick up two absentee ballots per election, other than his or her own ballot or ballots for members of his or her immediate family. Designees must have written authorization from the voter, present a picture I.D. and sign an affidavit. Candidates may pick up absentee ballots only for members of their immediate family.

If you have obtained an absentee ballot but decide to vote in your precinct on Election Day, you must take the absentee ballot with you to the polls, whether or not it has been marked. However, if you are unable to return the ballot, you may vote a provisional ballot.

(see sections 101.048, 101.62 and 101.69, Florida Statutes)

Military and Overseas Citizens Registering and Voting Absentee
Members of the United States Uniformed Services on active duty and the merchant marine, their spouses and dependents, and United States citizens residing outside of the United States may apply for voter registration or request an absentee ballot with a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), which may be obtained from a Voting Assistance Officer or through the Internet at www.fvap.gov. The Federal Post Card Application request for an absentee ballot will be effective for all elections through the next two regularly scheduled general elections. If the FPCA is not available, phone or send a written request by mail, fax, or e-mail to the supervisor of elections and a voter registration application or absentee ballot will be sent to you.

If you are overseas, you may have your absentee ballot either faxed to you, in lieu of receiving it by regular mail. Once your absentee ballot is voted, you may either return it by fax or you may mail it to the supervisor of elections so that it is received no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voted ballots returned by e-mail will not be accepted. Carefully follow the instructions sent to you with your absentee ballot to ensure that it is counted. You must be sure to not only sign, but date the absentee ballot envelope to ensure that your ballot is counted.

If an overseas voter’s request for an absentee ballot includes an e-mail address, the supervisor of elections will inform the voter of the names of candidates who will be on the ballots via electronic transmission. The supervisor of elections will e-mail to the voter the list of candidates for the primary and general election not later than 30 days before each election.

(see section 101.6952, Florida Statutes)