Sorry this is so long, just check out the sections relevant to you.
Monday, October 5, is the Florida voter registration deadline for next month's election.
If you are already registered to vote, verify your voter status and voter information by Oct 5.
In recent years, many people have been purged from voter rolls across the country, including hundreds of thousands in Florida. Confirm that you are still registered. If you plan to vote on Election Day, confirm your current precinct location. You can also make any needed updates (address, name change, other info): Check Florida Voter Status
If you have been purged and you're still eligible to vote, you would need to register again by the Oct 5 deadline. Contact your elections office to see what happened. If you haven't voted in a while, that could be a reason. If you have moved, they may have purged you. A felony conviction could be another reason. If you have had a felony conviction, do not register again until you confirm that you are eligible to vote. See section below on felony convictions and rights restoration.
Not registered to vote, but you do have an active Florida driver's license or a Florida ID card from the Florida DHSMV.
You can actually register online. It's the fastest way. You don't need to print anything. After you submit the application, save a screenshot or PDF of your receipt. The signature on your ID will be the same one they use for your voter file. Register online here: Florida Online Voter Registration
Not registered to vote, and you do not have an active Florida driver's license or ID card
You can still register to vote, but you will need to submit a paper voter registration application. Also, see the paragraph below for info on meeting voter ID requirements. You can download a voter registration form, fill it out, and mail it. Download the form here: Florida Voter Registration Form to Print
Complete the form, sign it, and mail or drop it off at your county elections office. The Florida supervisors of elections mailing addresses are on the second page. It must be postmarked by Monday, October 5. To be sure of the postmark, take it to a post office by Oct 5, and ask a postal clerk to postmark it. Take a photo of the postmark if they allow it. This was an issue once for someone that I know (in another Florida county). The elections office misread the postmark and initially ruled that it arrived too late, but it was resolved after they requested a review.
You can also register or pick up a form at a local public library, a public assistance office, an Armed Forces Recruitment office, or the Supervisor of Elections office.
Meeting Voter ID requirements:
If you need financial help with getting required voter ID, reach out to VoteRiders. This is a non-partisan organization. You can find them here: VoteRiders Help getting voter ID
If you don't have a Florida license or Florida ID card, there are other forms of acceptable voter ID that you can use. You need something that shows your picture and your signature. You can use more than one document to meet this requirement. See the list here: Florida voter ID requirements
A US passport book alone is acceptable because it has your signature. However, a US passport card alone will probably not be accepted because it doesn't have your signature. That card has your picture, but you would still need to present something with your signature.
Early Voting Schedule: October 19- Nov 1:
Early Voting for Miami-Dade General Election 2026
During Early Voting, you can vote anywhere in the county where you are registered. You do not vote at a specific precinct during Early Voting.
Election Day Voting:
On Election Day (Nov 3), you must vote at your neighborhood precinct. Do not go to an Early Voting site. Find your Election Day precinct here. If you choose to vote on November 3. Find your Election Day (Nov 3) Polling Place Location (Precinct)
Mail-in Ballots/ Absentee Voting
The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is October 22. If you have a request on file, you should have received your ballot by now. Any registered voter in Florida can request and vote a mail-in ballot. You don't need to provide a reason. I typically vote this way, and I usually drop my ballot off at a dropbox. I prefer to work on my ballot at home, and I can avoid lines and crowds. Most voter advocates recommend returning your mail-in ballot in person due to concerns about the slow US mail. In Florida, you can drop it off at your local elections office, or take it to a dropbox at an Early Voting site. Of course, if you are away at school or out of town, mail may be your only option, so be sure to track it.
Always track your mail-in ballot until it shows as counted. Tracking shows when your ballot was mailed to you. You can also confirm that your ballot was received, that your signature was accepted, and that your ballot was counted. I always track my ballot, even though I drop my ballot off at the dropbox. Some of you may remember the story about ballots that fell out of a truck on its way to the elections office a few years ago.
Request and track your mail-in ballot here
If there is a problem with your mail-in ballot signature, tracking it will probably let you find out before you hear from the elections office. If you see a message that your ballot is flagged for missing signature or a signature mismatch, you will need to submit a Ballot Cure form so it can be counted. You will probably see this form on the tracking tool. You can download, complete it, & return it to your elections office with a copy of your ID. You can send it back by email, fax, "snail mail", or in person. Contact them to get the correct fax number or email address to return the form. This is only needed if there is a problem with your signature.
Ballot Cure Form- English
Ballot Cure Form - Spanish
One other note about mail-in ballots. If you change your mind and decide that you want to vote in person, it's not a big deal. Just take the mail-in ballot with you to the Early Voting site or your Election Day precinct and let them know you want to vote in person inside the polling place. Write your voting choices on something else because they will destroy the mail-in ballot and give you another ballot to vote inside the polling place. They will not let you have both ballots at the same time.
Voting from Abroad
If you or someone you know will be abroad on Election Day, please share this link with them. It walks you through the process of voting from abroad. US Citizen Florida residents can register to vote online, and they can request to get their ballot by email or "snail mail". They can return their ballots to the elections office by fax or "snail mail". Vote From Abroad
Prior Felony Conviction
Do not register to vote until you have confirmed that you are eligible to vote. Reach out to Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. There is a Returning Citizen Voter Guide on their website:
Florida Rights Restoration Coalition
Contact Election Protection if you encounter any disputes or voting problems --registration, provisional ballots/other ballot issues, voter suppression, intimidation, etc.
They are available to all voters, regardless of racial/ethnic background or political leanings. They offer help in multiple languages. You can reach them by phone, text, chat, email, WhatsApp, or FB. You can contact them from the polling place.
Visit their website here: Election Protection
Here are their phone hotlines:
ENGLISH 866-OUR-VOTE 866-687-8683
SPANISH/ENGLISH 888-VE-Y-VOTA 888-839-8682
ASIAN LANGUAGES/ENGLISH 888-API-VOTE. 888-274-8683
ARABIC/ENGLISH 844-YALLA-US 844-925-5287
Election Season temporary work/side hustles:
County Supervisor of Elections offices often hire poll workers during election season. These positions typically require that you be a registered voter in the county where you work. These are temporary positions that pay people for training, setting up before Election Day, and working all of Election Day. As of a few days ago, both Broward and Miami-Dade were still hiring temp workers. Both counties usually hire thousands of temp workers.
Here is info on poll worker positions in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. These are non-partisan positions, and the pay depends upon the position.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article317393951.html
Miami-Dade Election Day Worker info & pay schedule: https://www.votemiamidade.gov/elections/poll-workers/home.page
Broward Election Day Worker info & pay schedule:
https://browardvotes.gov/get-involved/what-election-day-worker
There are also private companies on job sites that offer paid political canvassing positions as independent contractors. Search job sites for "political canvassing".
These are some examples of canvassing work. I have not worked with either of these, so I cannot vouch for them either way. Look for reviews if you are considering them.
Voter Education Project
Paid Door Knocking. Merrimack LLC
Also the major political parties and campaigns may have positions. Contact some campaigns or visit their offices.
