Guidelines For Making Sure Your Absentee Ballot is Counted

When using an absentee ballot there are a few simple guidelines to follow to insure that your vote gets counted.

• Requesting your absentee ballot

• Marking your absentee ballot

• Returning your absentee ballot

Requesting your absentee ballot

• Your absentee ballot must be sent to your mailing address on file with the Elections Department unless you are out of the county and will not return before the election or if  you are in the military; overseas; in the hospital or a nursing home; unable to occupy your home due to an emergency or natural disaster, or in a few other limited situations (Florida Statute 101.62(4)(b).

• Absentee ballots cannot be forwarded (unless you are in the military) so be sure to give your correct mailing address when you are requesting your absentee ballot.  If you are requesting a ballot for more than one election and will be at different locations, be sure to indicate which address to use for each election.

• Do not wait until the last week before an election to order your ballot.  We promptly mail them out but you must allow for the time it will take the USPS to get it to you and back to our office.
• Please keep your residence address current with this office.  If you have moved, there will be a delay in mailing your ballot until the change to our records is processed.  You may use the Florida Registration Application Form to update your records with us.

 Marking your absentee ballot

• All voters are required to mark their own absentee ballot unless they have a disability that prevents them from doing so (Florida Statute 101.661).
• If a race on the ballot has the notation “Vote For One” do not mark more than one candidate or question answer for that race.
• If you mis-mark your ballot, you may either call our office and request a replacement ballot or you may cross off the mistake.  If you cross off the mistake, write “no” next to it and mark your correct choice.  Write  “yes” next to your choice.

Returning your absentee ballot

• Return your ballot in the secrecy sleeve and envelope that were mailed with your ballot.

• Do not put more than one ballot in an envelope.

• Be sure that you sign the return envelope where indicated.

• If you are sending your ballot back from outside the United States or its’ territories, make sure to date the return envelope where indicated

• Be sure to put sufficient postage on the return envelope. 

• Be sure that you mail your ballot in sufficient time so that it is received at the Elections Office by the time the polls close at 7:00pm on Election Day. If time is short, you may have the ballot hand delivered to our office or to one of our branch offices if they are open.

• If you have decided to vote at the polls instead, take your absentee ballot with you to the polls so that it may be cancelled.  If you do not bring your ballot with you and the poll workers cannot determine the status of your absentee ballot, you will have to vote a Provisional Ballot (Florida Statute 101.69).

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