Florida’s Statewide Early Voting in the 2022 Midterm Election Starts Across Saturday

St. PETERSBURG— All Florida voters can make their voices heard in the November 8 midterm election, with early voting options starting in every Florida county on Saturday, Oct. 29 through Nov. 5.

Voters can cast a ballot in-person or by mail. Florida allows counties to begin in-person early voting as early as Monday, Oct. 24 and to extend it through Sunday, Nov. 6. Charlotte, Lee and Sarasota counties are permitted to keep early voting locations open through Tuesday, Nov. 8, to help ease the impacts of Hurricane Ian on voters.

“In a strong and healthy democracy, every voter’s voice is heard, and every voice counts equally,” said Amy Keith, Common Cause Florida’s program director. “Early voting improves access for all hardworking voters, especially for our home health workers, teachers, and service workers who can’t always make it to the polls on Election Day. We want to encourage everyone to vote early and all the way down the ballot this year so we all have a say in what happens in the Sunshine State.”

Voters who have questions or problems can contact the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE.

In Florida, early voting must be held in every county from Saturday, Oct. 29 through Saturday, Nov. 5. Voters can look up early voting locations, dates and times through their county elections office here.

Florida, unlike more than 20 other states and Washington D.C, does not allow same-day voter registration during the early voting period despite data that has shown it increases participation rates. That means only registered voters can take part in the Nov. 8 election.

This election will also be more complicated for voters, given the catastrophic damages some parts of the state experienced from Hurricane Ian just a few weeks before early voting starts statewide on Oct. 29. That comes on top of significant changes to election laws over the last two years that may make it more difficult for some people to vote. In addition, the recent redistricting process means that many voters may have new precincts and voting locations.

There is no deadline to update your voting address in Florida. Registered Florida voters can update their address at any early voting location in the county where they now live or at the Election Day polling place  for their new residence, Keith said. People displaced by the storm can also have their local supervisor of elections office send a vote-by-mail ballot to a temporary address where they are currently staying. 

Nationally, in 2020 the electorate broke early voting records with nearly 70% of voters casting a ballot by mail and/or before Election Day. Breaking that figure down, about 43% of voters cast ballots by mail, and another 26% voted in person ahead of Election Day. The 2020 election was the highest rate of nontraditional voting for a presidential election, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

 

Voter Information for the 2022 Primary Election 

There are three different ways that registered Florida voters can vote: by mail, in-person at early voting sites in their county, or in-person at their assigned polling location on Nov. 8, Election Day. 

Voters who have any questions about the voting process or encounter problems can contact the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE. 

Those who choose to vote by mail must:

•  Request a vote-by-mail ballot  through their county Supervisor of Elections office.
• Sign the back of the ballot envelope.
•  Make sure the ballot is received by their county election office by 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 8 . (postmark date is not enough)

If there is a problem with the voter’s signature on their vote-by-mail ballot, the voter has until 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10  to submit the paperwork to correct their signature. 

Note: Common Cause Florida recommends mailing in ballots at least 10 days in advance or dropping signed ballots off in Secure Ballot Intake Stations available at county elections offices and early voting sites during hours of operation. Voters can check to see if their ballots were received in the mail through online trackers provided by most county supervisor of elections’ offices.  

People can also vote early in-person at county early voting sites.

• Statewide early voting is between Saturday, Oct. 29 and Saturday, Nov. 5, though some counties have early voting beginning Oct. 24 and running through Nov. 6 Voters can look up early voting locations, dates and times through their county elections office here.
• Voters can use any early voting site in their county to vote in-person or drop vote-by-mail ballots in Secure Ballot Intake Stations.
• Voters must provide a valid photo/signature ID to vote in-person in Florida during early voting or on election day. There are 12 acceptable forms of ID, with the list available here.

Those who want to vote in-person on Tuesday, Nov. 8, Election Day must:

• Bring valid (non-expired) photo/signature ID.
• Vote at the correct precinct for their current residence. Voters can look up their precincts here.
• Arrive at the polls during voting hours. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Any voter in line to vote at 7 p.m. must be allowed to vote. 

Voters in Charlotte, Lee and Sarasota counties can find information about voting changes in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian here. Common Cause Florida has also prepared a frequently asked questions document to support voters affected by Hurricane Ian.