Help Voters | Get trained to be a Nonpartisan Poll Monitor with the Florida Election Protection Coalition!   Sign up now!

Guide

Voting After a Hurricane

In the event of a hurricane, the Division of Elections will usually provide information on its website that is specific to that storm so that impacted voters know their options. 

Most voter questions in the aftermath of a storm can be resolved by contacting your county Supervisor of Elections office. Voters can find their county Supervisor of Elections office information here: https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/supervisors/ 

1) Do I need to change my voter registration address?

It depends. Your voter registration address should be your current legal permanent residence.  

  • If you have temporarily relocated as a result of a hurricane or any other reason, but you intend to return to your permanent home, then your voter registration address remains the same.
  • If you do not intend to return to your previous home, then you should update your voter registration address to your new place of residence (residency for voting purposes in Florida is considered to be the place where a person intends to make their permanent residence for purposes of voter registration, even if they do not know how long they will be residing at that location in the future).  

If you’re not sure if you need to change your voting address, please contact your county Supervisor of Elections to ask about your specific situation.

If you do need to change your voting address, there is no deadline to do this. If you are registered to vote in the State of Florida, you can update your voter registration address any time, including at the polls during early voting in your county of residence or on election day at the polling location for your current residence. To make things easier, you can change your address before you get to the polls by calling your county Supervisor of Elections office or using the online tool on the Supervisor of Elections website.

2) Can I have a vote-by-mail ballot sent to the place I am staying temporarily?

Yes! Vote-by-mail ballots cannot be forwarded, so it is important to have it sent to a place where you can currently receive mail. 

If you need to have your ballot sent to a temporary address that the Supervisor of Elections does not already have on file for you (e.g., someplace other than your regular residence or regular mailing address), use this form to submit a signed written request and send it to your county Supervisor of Elections office by mail or email

In some cases after a major storm, the government may waive the requirement for a signed written request to have your ballot sent to a different address. If you have been impacted by a storm, call your county Supervisor of Elections office to learn about your vote-by-mail options.

Remember to request your mail ballot at least 12 days before Election Day. If you miss this deadline, you will have to go pick up the ballot for that election from the county elections office and an emergency excuse affidavit may be required.

3) I requested a mail ballot, but it is being sent to my home address in the area affected by the storm.

If your vote-by-mail ballot is already on its way to your home but you are not there to receive it, call your county Supervisor of Elections office immediately to ask about having a new ballot sent to an address where you can receive it.

4) I requested a mail ballot but I never received it.

If you did not receive your mail ballot, you have 3 options:

  1. Call your Supervisor of Elections office and ask them about having a new ballot sent to an address where you can currently receive mail.
  2. Go to any early voting location in the county of your current residence and explain that you did not receive your mail ballot. They will check the system, and if they can confirm that you have not already voted, they will give you a regular in-person ballot.
  3. Go to the precinct/polling location for your current residence on Election Day and explain that you did not receive your mail ballot. They will check the system, and if they can confirm that you have not already voted, they will give you a regular in-person ballot.

If the elections staff cannot confirm whether or not you have already submitted your ballot, you will still be able to vote but you will be given a provisional ballot. 

5) I am in an area affected by the storm and I want to vote in person, where can I go to vote?

There may be changes to in-person voting options in your county as a result of the storm. Please call your county Supervisor of Elections or check their website for the most up-to-date information.

  • Early Voting: You can vote at any early voting site in your county of residence. Early Voting dates, times and locations vary by county and by election. You can find the early voting information for your county for the upcoming election by calling the Supervisor of Elections or checking their website. All counties have Early Voting (including Saturday and Sunday options) for elections that include statewide or federal races. However, many areas do not offer Early Voting for county or municipal elections.
  • Election Day: On Election Day, you must vote in the polling location assigned to the precinct for your permanent residence. However, your regular polling location may have changed due to the storm (for example, if it was damaged or if it is serving as a shelter). In some cases after a major emergency, alternative Election Day voting options may be made available in affected counties. To find your polling location or to learn if other options are available, please call your county Supervisor of Elections office or check their website for information about polling locations and Election Day voting options.

Remember, to vote in-person you must present valid photo and signature ID. The address on your ID does not need to match the address on your voter registration.

6) I am registered to vote in a county affected by the storm, but I am temporarily staying in a different county. I don’t want to vote by mail or change my address. Can I vote in person during early voting or on election day?

If you prefer not to vote by mail, you will need to return to your county of residence in order to vote in person on election day. Please call your county Supervisor of Elections or check their website for the most up-to-date information about in-person voting options. 

7) I lost my ID documents in the storm. Can I still vote?

Yes. Florida has 12 acceptable forms of ID for voting in person, and the address on your ID does not need to match the address on your voter registration. However, if you have lost your personal documents and don’t have one of the IDs on the list YOU CAN STILL VOTE in person during early voting or on election day using a provisional ballot. 

Any one of the following photo IDs will be accepted for voting in person (cannot be expired):

  • Florida driver’s license
  • Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
  • United States passport
  • Debit or credit card
  • Military identification
  • Student identification
  • Retirement center identification
  • Neighborhood association identification
  • Public assistance identification
  • Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
  • License to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06
  • Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality.

If you have lost your ID or other identity documents like your birth certificate, you can contact VoteRiders and they will be able to assist you with the process. Visit https://www.voteriders.org/freehelp/ or call their helpline at  844-338-874. 

 

Supervisor of Elections Phone Numbers By County:

Alachua 352-374-5252

Baker 904-259-6339

Bay 850-784-6100

Bradford 904-966-6266

Brevard 321-290-8683

Broward 954-357-8683

Calhoun 850-674-8566 EXT. 4

Charlotte 941-833-5400

Citrus 352-564-7120

Clay 904-269-6350

Collier 239-252-8683

Columbia 386-758-1026

DeSoto 863-993-4871

Dixie 352-498-1216 EXT. 1217

Duval 904-255-8683

Escambia 850-595-3900

Flagler 386-313-4170

Franklin 850-653-9520

Gadsden 850-627-9910

Gilchrist 352-463-3194

Glades 863-946-6005

Gulf 850-229-6117

Hamilton 386-792-1426

Hardee 863-773-6061

Hendry 863-675-5230 or 863-983-1592

Hernando 352-754-4125

Highlands 863-402-6655

Hillsborough 813-744-5900

Holmes 850-547-1107

Indian River 772-226-4700

Jackson 850-482-9652

Jefferson 850-997-3348

Lafayette 386-294-1261

Lake 352-343-9734

Lee 239-533-8683

Leon 850-606-8683

Levy 352-486-5163

Liberty 850-643-5226

Madison 850-973-6507

Manatee 941-741-3823

Marion 352-620-3290

Martin 772-288-5637

Miami-Dade 305-499-8509

Monroe 305-292-3416

Nassau 904-491-7500

Okaloosa 850-689-5600

Okeechobee 863-763-4014

Orange 407-836-2070

Osceola 407-742-6000

Palm Beach 561-656-6200

Pasco 352-521-4302

Pinellas 727-464-8683

Polk 863-534-5888

Putnam 386-329-0224

Santa Rosa 850-983-1900

Sarasota 941-861-8600

Seminole 407-585-8683

St. Johns 904-823-2238

St. Lucie 772-462-1500

Sumter 352-569-1540

Suwannee 386-362-2616

Taylor 850-838-3515

Union 386-496-2236

Volusia 386-736-5930

Wakulla 850-926-7575

Walton 850-892-8112

Washington 850-638-6230

Close

Close

Hello! It looks like you're joining us from {state}.

Want to see what's happening in your state?

Go to Common Cause {state}