Division of Elections Announces Vote-by-Mail Ballot Deadlines for General Election

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –

The Division of Elections announces the following vote-by-mail ballot deadlines for Florida’s upcoming General Election to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018: 

• For absent stateside and overseas uniformed service members and overseas civilians (also known as UOCAVA voters), the deadline for Supervisors of Elections to mail ballots for requests already made is Saturday, September 22.
• For all non-UOCAVA voters, the window for Supervisors of Elections to mail ballots is from October 2 to October 9.
• A request for a vote-by-mail ballot to be mailed to any voter must be received by the Supervisor of Elections before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, October 31, 2018.
• The last day for Supervisors of Elections to mail vote-by-mail ballots requested after the initial deadlines listed above is Friday, November 2, 2018.

“Florida voters who want to take advantage of the convenience of voting by mail should submit their request for a vote-by-mail ballot to their local county Supervisor of Elections,” said Secretary of State Ken Detzner. “Voters also have the option of early voting and voting on Election Day at the polls. I encourage Florida voters to select the method of voting in the General Election that works best for them.”

Voters who would like to request a vote-by-mail ballot should contact their county Supervisor of Elections office. The United States Postal Service encourages voters to mail back their voted ballots early to ensure timely receipt by Election Day.

A voter may pick up a vote-by-mail ballot from the office of their Supervisor of Elections up to the day before the election or, if an emergency exists, on the day of the election.

Vote-by-mail ballots must be received by the local county supervisor of elections office by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day in order for the ballot to count. A 10-day extension exists for overseas voters. The overseas voter’s vote-by-mail ballot must be postmarked or dated by Election Day and received within 10 days of the election in order to be counted.

The Division of Elections is providing daily vote-by-mail ballot statistics based on county reports filed by Supervisors of Elections. To access these statistics, click here.

For additional information on 2018 election dates, vote-by-mail ballots, or how to contact Supervisors of Elections, please visit dos.myflorida.com/elections/.

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About the Division of Elections
The Florida Department of State’s Division of Elections supports the Secretary of State, Florida’s chief election officer, in ensuring that Florida has fair and accurate elections. The Division’s three bureaus: Bureau of Election Records, Bureau of Voter Registration Services, and Bureau of Voting Systems Certification, have several responsibilities in the areas of legal compliance and elections administration to ensure that Florida’s election laws are uniformly interpreted and implemented. The Division also assists local Supervisors of Elections in their duties, and promotes enhanced public awareness and participation in the electoral process. For more information about Florida’s elections, visit dos.myflorida.com/elections.