All voters in Florida have the option to Vote-by-Mail in each election. Read below for information on how to request and return your Vote-by-Mail ballot.
Military and overseas voters, also known as “UOCAVA voters,” have special Vote-by-Mail options. Please visit our Military and Overseas Citizens Voting page for additional information.
How Do I Request a Vote-By-Mail Ballot?
You can request your Vote-by-Mail ballot using any of these options:
You do not need an excuse or reason to Vote-by-Mail. Any registered voter can request a Vote-by-Mail ballot. A single request is good for all elections though the end of the current election cycle.
The deadline to request that we mail you a Vote-by-Mail ballot is 5 p.m. on the 10th day before Election Day. However, you can pick up a Vote-by-Mail ballot in-person up to and including Election Day.
We will mail your ballot to the address in your voter registration record. If you have a mailing address on file, we will use that instead.
If you plan to Vote-by-Mail, make sure your voter registration information is up to date. Florida Law does not allow Vote-by-Mail ballots to be sent by forwardable mail. Instead, ballots are returned to our office as undeliverable mail. This will cancel any pending Vote-by-Mail ballot requests. If you need to update your residential or mailing address, please visit the Update my Registration page.
Vote-by-Mail Ballot Notification Tool
You can track the status of your ballot using the Voter Information Lookup.
When Will I Receive My Vote-By-Mail Ballot?
If you have a Vote-by-Mail ballot request on file, we will mail your ballot about a month before Election Day. If you request a ballot after this first mail out, we will mail your ballot within two business days of receiving your request.
Can I Pick Up a Vote-By-Mail Ballot in Person?
You can pick up your own Vote-By-Mail ballot from our office. This is available starting as soon as the ballots become available, around 30 days before Election Day, and extends through Election Day itself.
You can designate a person to pick up your Vote-by-Mail ballot for you. You can do this at our office located at 2851 Jefferson Street Marianna, Fl 32448. You will both need to complete an Affidavit to Pick-up a Mail Ballot for a Voter (PDF).This is available starting nine days before Election Day through Election Day itself.
If you pick up a Vote-by-Mail ballot on Election Day, you will need to complete an Election Day Vote-by-Mail Ballot Delivery Affidavit (PDF).
How Do I Complete and Return my Vote-by-Mail Ballot?
You will receive instructions with your ballot. Make sure to sign the certificate on the envelope. In order to count, your ballot must be at our office by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Return by Mail
If you want to return your ballot by mail, use a first-class stamp, also known as a “forever stamp.”
The United States Postal Service recommends that you mail your ballot at least one week before Election Day to ensure that it will be received in our office by Election Day.
You can also enclose your ballot and signed certificate in a separate envelope and send by USPS Priority Mail, FedEx, UPS, or another carrier. If you do this, please send the package to 2851 Jefferson Street Marianna, FL 32448.
Return by Drop-off
You can drop off your voted ballot at our office during business hours, or at a secure ballot intake station (also known as a drop box) located at each Early Voting site during Early Voting hours. For additional information on secure ballot intake stations/drop boxes, please visit our Secure Ballot Intake Station webpage.
You cannot drop-off your Vote-by-Mail ballot at your Election Day polling place. However, the poll workers at your polling place can cancel your Vote-by-Mail ballot. You can then vote in-person.
Why Is my Signature on the Envelope Important?
You must sign the certificate on the Vote-By-Mail ballot envelope. We will compare your signature on the envelope to the signature we have on file in the voter registration system to confirm your identity.
Missing or Mismatched Signature
If the signature on your Vote-By-Mail ballot envelope is missing or does not match the signature we have on file in the voter registration system, we will try to contact you to correct the problem. You will need to complete a Vote-By-Mail Ballot Cure Affidavit and send the form to our office along with a photocopy of your ID. The deadline to fix the signature issue is 5 p.m. on the Thursday after Election Day.
Signature Update
Signatures change over time. You should update your signature on file with our office every few years. We must receive your signature update before we receive your ballot in order for us to use that updated signature in that election. Visit the Update Your Registration page for information on how you can update your signature.
What if I Requested a Vote-by-Mail Ballot but I Want to Vote In-Person Instead?
As long as you have not yet returned your Vote-by-Mail ballot, you can still choose to vote in person at an Early Voting site or your Election Day polling place.
Questions?
If you have any questions about voting-by-mail, please contact us and we will be glad to help.