Florida Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee Provides 2020 Primary Election Day Recap

Tallahassee, Fla. –

Today, Florida Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee provided a recap of the statewide Primary held yesterday, Tuesday, August 18. Preliminary election results show that more than 3,890,947 voters exercised their right to vote during the election through vote-by-mail (2,342,701), early voting (558,430) and voting on Election Day (989,816).

“Once again, Florida’s elections officials, poll workers and voters have contributed to a successful election thanks to their preparation and dedication, ” said Florida Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee. “We are fortunate to have the strong leadership of Governor DeSantis who took decisive action to ensure this election would be accessible, safe and protected for all eligible voters. The success of this election should give Florida’s voters confidence that no matter the circumstances, their voices will be heard at the polls.”

Florida’s preliminary election results are available on the Florida Election Watch website: FloridaElectionWatch.gov.  Please keep in mind: preliminary election results on Election Night are not the official election results. Official election results from the 67 counties are due to the Florida Division of Elections no later than noon on Tuesday, August 25. These official results will then be presented to a meeting of the Elections Canvassing Commission on Thursday, August 27 for certification. Statistics regarding vote-by-mail and early voting are available on the Florida Division of Elections website.

ELECTION DAY RECAP

• VOTER ASSISTANCE HOTLINE – From 7 a.m. through polls closing at 7 p.m. local time, the state’s Division of Elections staff answered more than 1000 calls from Florida voters requesting assistance. Most calls were related to polling precinct information, registration information and status, assistance with ballots and status of vote-by-mail ballots.
• COUNTIES – Out of concern for at-risk populations, polling places were moved and/or consolidated, and some voters were not able to vote at their usual precinct. Voters from those sites were accommodated either at their new precincts, or through other methods, such as vote-by-mail and provisional ballots. 

REPORTING AND CERTIFICATION TIMELINE

Preliminary returns reported to the state on Election Night are not the official election results. Official returns are due to the Department of State from county canvassing boards no later than 5 p.m. on August 25. These official results will be certified at a meeting of the Florida Elections Canvassing Commission at 9 a.m. on August 27 at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee. The Elections Canvassing Commission consists of the Governor and two members of the Florida Cabinet selected by the Governor (Section 102.111, Florida Statutes).

Florida’s timeline for the reporting and certification of election results is as follows:

August 18: PRIMARY ELECTION DAY

• Preliminary Primary Election Night Returns consisting of early voting and all vote-by-mail results tabulated to date were due no later than 7:30 pm in the respective county’s time zone on Election Night (Tuesday, August 18). Thereafter, the board reported in until all precinct-election results were completely reported. (Section 102.141, Florida Statutes)

• Note: Pursuant to Section 101.048, Florida Statutes, the deadline for persons voting a provisional ballot to provide evidence of eligibility to Supervisors of Elections is August 20, no later than 5 p.m.

August 21: Unofficial Returns to include all results are due from the county canvassing boards no later than noon on Friday, August 21. (Section 102.141, Florida Statutes)

August 25: Official Returns are due from the county canvassing boards no later than 5 p.m. on August 25. (Section 102.112, Florida Statutes)

August 27: The Elections Canvassing Commission meets to certify the Official Returns for statewide contests at 9 a.m. on August 27. The Elections Canvassing Commission consists of the Governor and two members of the Florida Cabinet selected by the Governor (Section 102.111, Florida Statutes).

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About the Florida 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; the 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/.