How Floridians Can Help Each Other Register to Vote

This is a guide about how Floridians can help each other with voter registration. Keep reading to learn more about voter registration in Florida and what you as a private citizen can (and cannot) do if you want to help. 

First things first, here are the top three things you need to know:

Important Note: This guide is for information and educational purposes. It is not legal advice.

This is the #1 best way to help your friends, family and community with voter registration, if they have a Florida Driver License or a Florida ID Card issued by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. No matter where in Florida someone lives, they can use RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov to register or update their registration.

The applicant can visit this website on their own phone or computer, or you can let them use your phone, tablet or computer! The system will walk them through all the steps to register to vote. Click here to download a printable outreach flyer about online voter registration.

An applicant registering online will need: Florida Driver License or State of Florida ID card number, date of issuance, and the last 4 digits of their Social Security Number.

Having a Florida Driver License or a State of Florida ID Card makes it easier to register and easier to vote!

VoteRiders provides free assistance in English and Spanish to help people get the ID they need to register and vote. Call or text their helpline at 866-ID-2-VOTE (866-432-8683) or email them at helpline@voteriders.org. For more information on voter ID in Florida, visit: https://www.voteriders.org/states/florida/

Some Floridians are eligible to apply for a free State of Florida ID Card from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles or their county tax collector’s office:

• Individuals who have income at or below the Federal Poverty level.
• Individuals who are homeless (ID will be marked general delivery).
• Individuals who are receiving SNAP/EBT benefits. 
• Veterans can obtain a State of Florida ID Card at the cost of $1.

To find the closest office that issues ID, visit www.flhsmv.gov/locations/. Please note that you will need to provide documentation of eligibility and that many offices require appointments. 

When registering using a paper form in person or by mail, voters who do not have a Florida Driver License or a Florida ID Card can use the last 4 digits of their Social Security Number instead.

There are many government offices where Floridians can register to vote in person OR drop off their own completed voter registration form, such as:

• All public libraries (including county and municipal libraries)
• Any county Supervisor of Elections office (let the elections office staff know if you are dropping off at a different county from where you live) 
• All Florida Driver License offices (including county tax collector’s offices that issue driver licenses or Florida ID cards)
• Government offices that provide public assistance (ex: food stamps, Medicaid, TANF, and WIC) 
• Government offices that serve persons with disabilities (ex: Department of Education’s Division of Blind Services, centers for independent living, disability offices at public colleges and universities)
• Any military recruitment office

Eligible voters can also fill out a paper voter registration application and mail it to their county Supervisor of Elections OR the Florida Division of Elections:

Div. of Elections, R.A. Gray Building, Room 316, 500 S. Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL 32399

You can print BLANK voter registration applications from RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov (English PDF / Español PDF) to support your fellow Floridians, but remember: you cannot collect or handle a paper voter registration form after you give it to the applicant. 

Applicants must directly turn in or mail their forms to the elections office themselves, or the applicant can drop it off at a public library or one of the government offices listed above that accept voter registration applications.

Key points for filling out a voter registration application form (click here for a detailed tip sheet to help people fill out the form): 

• Use blue or black pen (no pencil, no other pen colors)
• Lines 1-6 and Line 15 MUST be completed for the form to be processed
• Print plainly and clearly
• The applicant must SIGN and DATE the form 

Note, you may not mail or otherwise provide a voter registration application upon which any information about an applicant has been filled in before it is provided to the applicant.

Be careful! If you collect a paper voter registration form, you are REQUIRED to register as a 3rd party voter registration organization and may be subject to significant fines. 

If someone isn’t sure about their eligibility because of a past felony conviction, support is available: 

• The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition seeks to connect returning citizens with pro-bono attorneys who will petition the court for a modification of the financial obligations (e.g. fines, fees, or court costs) that are preventing the returning citizen from being eligible to vote. To apply for assistance, visit https://floridarrc.com/fines-program/.
• The Campaign Legal Center has an interactive online tool at campaignlegal.org/restoreyourvote that allows applicants with a past felony conviction to assess their eligibility by answering a series of simple questions.
• The League of Women Voters of Florida refers applicants to lawyers who can provide free support to review their sentencing history and see what needs to be done to allow them to vote. To request a referral, applicants can contact LWVFL at 407-710-5496 or canivote@lwvfl.org.
• Applicants who are confused about their voting eligibility can contact the Division of Elections at DivElections@dos.myflorida.com to request an advisory opinion on whether or not they are eligible to register and vote.

It is illegal to submit false information on a voter registration application! Never encourage someone to register if they do not think they are eligible.

For more information about voting in Florida visit KeepFloridaVoting.org

Disclaimers:

• This guide is for information and education purposes only, is not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship.
• This guide does NOT apply to third-party voter registration organizations.