Voting in Florida
General election: Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
At a glance
You must register before the deadline below.
Show photo ID with signature; without it, vote a provisional ballot that counts if your signature matches your registration record. No ID? Ask your election office whether it offers a free one for voting. First-time voters who registered by mail may need to show ID under federal law.
Return deadline: received by 7 p.m. Nov 3 (Election Day).
Mandatory Oct 24 - Oct 31; counties may offer Oct 19 - Nov 1
Rights return automatically after completing all terms of sentence including parole/probation and fines, fees and restitution (Amendment 4), but people convicted of murder or felony sexual offenses must obtain clemency.
Deadlines
| Step | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Register online | Monday, October 5 | |
| Register by mail | Monday, October 5 | |
| Register in person | Monday, October 5 | |
| Election Day | Tuesday, November 3 | Polls close times vary; check your state. |
Mail ballot request: received by 5 p.m. Oct 22 (12th day before). Mail ballot return: received by 7 p.m. Nov 3 (Election Day).
Where the road gets harder
Every rule is a cost, and it doesn't fall on everyone the same. A deadline, a document or a trip to an office is easy for some people and a real obstacle for others: people who work hourly jobs, move often, live far from an office, don't drive, or have a disability. Here is what that looks like in Florida.
- Registration closes before Election Day (in person: Monday, October 5). Miss it and you can't vote in this election. If you've moved, your registration may need updating by then too.
- Registration isn't automatic. Each person has to sign up on their own, which leaves out people who don't know the rules or move often.
- Mail ballots have to arrive by Election Day; a postmark isn't enough. A ballot mailed in the last days can arrive too late and won't count, so return it in person if it's close.
- After a felony conviction: Rights return automatically after completing all terms of sentence including parole/probation and fines, fees and restitution (Amendment 4), but people convicted of murder or felony sexual offenses must obtain clemency.
- The Sentencing Project estimated in 2024 that 961,757 people in Florida (6.13% of the voting-eligible population, and 12.74% of Black voting-eligible residents) could not vote because of a felony conviction.Source: The Sentencing Project, Locked Out 2024
- Florida voters restored voting rights to people who completed felony sentences in 2018 (Amendment 4), but a 2019 law requires paying all court fines, fees and restitution first, which a federal appeals court upheld in 2020.Source: Brennan Center for Justice, Jones v. DeSantis case page
News from Florida
Recent election, voting and policy headlines that mention Florida, newest first. They are found automatically and not checked: a headline shows what someone published, not that it is true.
News appears here once the news feed is connected.
Official links
Florida Division of Elections. These go straight to the government, not to us.
Sources
Checked October 12, 2026. Laws and court rulings change, sometimes close to an election. If anything here disagrees with your state or county election office, they are right and we are wrong; please tell us.
- https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/voter-registration-deadlines
- https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/online-voter-registration
- https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/automatic-voter-registration
- https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/same-day-voter-registration
- https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/table-11-receipt-and-postmark-deadlines-for-absentee-mail-ballots
- https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/early-in-person-voting
- https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/table-1-states-with-no-excuse-absentee-voting
- https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id
- https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/felon-voting-rights
- https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/04/01/florida-south-dakota-utah-enact-proof-of-citizenship-laws-for-voter-registration/
- https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/states-already-enacting-harmful-save-act-policies-requiring-proof
- https://www.sentencingproject.org/reports/locked-out-2024-four-million-denied-voting-rights-due-to-a-felony-conviction/
- https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/gruver-v-barton-consolidated-jones-v-desantis