How do I vote and make sure it is counted in Florida’s election? Follow this guide

Floridians are apparently not slacking. Early voting doesn’t even begin until Oct. 19, and you’re already casting your ballots.

By Oct. 9, nearly 1.4 million Florida voters had returned their mail-in ballots, according to the state’s election department.

These ballots have to arrive by the 7 p.m. Nov. 3 deadline for the race to decide if President Donald Trump gets a second term or if it’s former Vice President Joe Biden’s turn to become only the 14th man to serve as both VP and, later, U.S. president.

Such is the urgency Americans feel every four years when the national presidential race tops the ballot.

There are plenty of other contests to decide on the ballot, too.

There are mayors’ seats up for grabs, as in Miami-Dade’s race between Steve Bovo and Daniella Levine Cava. State representatives and congressional seats need to be filled. Local municipalities have council and commission positions vying for your vote.

There are also amendments to consider. Florida voters could ask for a higher minimum wage over the next six years, for instance. Broward County is asking voters to decide who they want for sheriff.

Four years ago, COVID-19 didn’t factor into how you cast your ballot. Now, we have to decide if we feel comfortable enough venturing out to our precinct or if mailing our ballots seems safest.

Do I have to wear a mask at the poll? Do I still have time to get a mail-in ballot so I can be like those 1.4 million Floridians who already made their choices?

We hear you.

Hopefully, this voting guide — which we will update regularly before Election Day on Nov. 3 — answers some of your questions.

Can I vote in the Nov. 3 election?

Are you an American citizen and are you a registered voter? If so, you should be able to cast your ballot.

When can I vote?

You have options. Vote on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, at your assigned precinct.

Or vote by mail now and your ballot must arrive at the elections department office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3.

Or vote in the two-week early voting window that runs 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Sunday Oct. 19-Nov. 1 in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Monroe County’s early voting time frame is 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 19-Oct. 31.

Where can I vote?

Until Oct. 19, your only option is to vote by mail. But if you prefer, you can take your ballot to a drop box at an early voting location.

If you’re worried about mailing your mail-in ballot, there is another way to return it

From Oct. 19 through Nov. 1, you can vote in person at any early voting location in your county. Miami-Dade voters have 33 early voting locations. Broward voters have 24 secure drop-off locations around the county to choose from.

On Election Day, Nov. 3, you have to vote at your assigned precinct.

I still don’t have a mail-in ballot. Do I have time to ask for one?

Yes. Voters have until 5 p.m. on the 10th day before the Nov. 3 Election Day to request a vote-by-mail ballot. So you have until Oct. 24 to get your request for a mail-in ballot to the election department.

In Miami-Dade, enter your name and birthday into the Miami-Dade website to check your mail ballot status. If you requested one but it never showed up at your home, you can request another ballot from the website. There is a limit of two ballots per person.

If you have any questions, call 305-499-8683.

In Broward, go to the county’s website and apply or request a second one if your ballot has yet to arrive.

Call 954-357-7050 if you have questions.

In Monroe County visit the website and request a ballot or a replacement. If you have questions, call 305-292-3416.

In Palm Beach County visit the Palm Beach elections office website and, as in the rest of South Florida, you can check the status of your ballot and request a new one if you need. Questions? Call 561-656-6208.

Where can I drop off a vote-by-mail ballot?

You can drop off your vote-by-mail ballot at a drop box at an early voting precinct in your county.

Miami-Dade voters who want to hand deliver their vote-by-mail ballot can take it to the Miami-Dade Elections Department at 2700 NW 87th Ave. in Doral or to the Elections Department’s Branch Office in the lobby of the Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 NW First St. Miami no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day.

On Nov. 2, the Monday before Election Day and on Election Day Tuesday, two additional locations are available to return a vote-by-mail ballot: North Dade Regional Library at 2455 NW 183rd St. in Miami Gardens, or South Dade Regional Library at 10750 SW 211th St. in Cutler Bay during voting hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In Broward, you can take your completed ballot to the election department’s main office at 115 S. Andrews Ave., Room 102, Fort Lauderdale, on Election Day.

In Palm Beach, voters can drop their ballot off at one of the 18 early voting locations across the county.

In Monroe County, voters can give their completed ballot directly to the Monroe County Supervisor of Elections office or at one of five early voting locations.

What if I have a vote-by-mail ballot in hand but decide to vote in person at my precinct anyway?

You can, under these conditions:

You can’t use your mail-in-ballot to vote at your precinct if you change your mind and want to vote in person instead. But you can bring it to your precinct on Election Day and have it canceled so that you can cast your vote inside.

If you don’t return the ballot to the precinct, the election will have to confirm the voter’s vote-by-mail ballot has not been received by the election’s department. If they can not, you can cast a provisional ballot.

You’re given a provisional ballot at the polling place. What does that mean?

A provisional ballot is given to voters who say they are properly registered in the state and that they’re eligible to vote at the precinct in a particular election, but their eligibility cannot be determined right away.

If you are given a provisional ballot when you show up to vote, fill it out as you would a regular ballot. That ballot will then be sealed in a special envelope and sent to a local canvassing board that will determine whether it will be accepted or rejected.

To reduce the chance of having to vote this way, on Election Day make sure you bring proper identification — a valid photo ID with signature to vote in Florida — and check out your registration and voter status before you go to the poll. This way, you have a better chance of arriving at the right polling location.

Do I have to wear a mask and social distance because of COVID-19?

Yes. You will have to wear a mask when inside a voting precinct and poll workers are supposed to space you out in line so that you are six feet apart. These good practices will remain in effect even if the governor has relaxed standards statewide. COVID-19 has not disappeared.

Do I need to wear a mask when I vote? How to cast your ballot safely amid COVID-19

Am I just voting for the president?

Vote for whomever, and in whichever, category you wish. You don’t have to vote in every race or in every municipal initiative for your ballot to be counted. However, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the races so that you can make your voice heard across the board.

For example, the race for president between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will be on every ballot and, naturally, has dominated national news coverage.

There are also six congressional races in South Florida and 19 state representative races. Some ballots will ask you if you want to retain judges in your district, too. Your ballot will have the local races particular to your district in addition to the common to all races, like president.

What are the six constitutional amendments on the ballot?

There are also six constitutional amendments on Florida’s 2020 ballot. They include:

▪ A question to seek approval to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026. Florida’s current minimum wage is $8.56 hourly.

▪ Changing how primary elections are held so that all registered voters can cast a vote for governor, Legislature and Cabinet-level races. Currently, only voters registered as either a Democrat or a Republican can vote in their party’s primary to decide which candidate moves on to the general election.

▪ Requiring 60% voter approval of constitutional amendments in two separate elections.

▪ A limitation on homestead exemptions. Currently, Floridians who move from one homesteaded property to another have two years from Jan. 1 of the year of the sale of the first home to claim the tax benefit. This amendment’s language tweak would give homeowners an additional year to do so.

▪ An ad valorem tax discount for spouses of certain deceased veterans who had permanent, combat-related disabilities.

▪ An amendment to alter the wording of the Constitution to say that “only a citizen” of the United States can vote. That’s already Florida law. The language tweak would change what currently reads as “every citizen” can vote.

What municipal races are on the ballot?

Miami-Dade voters will select a county commissioner in races for four districts — 3, 5, 7 and 9.

Miami-Dade will also select a county mayor in a non-partisan race between Steve Bovo over Daniella Levine Cava.

Miami-Dade has three School Board races for districts 3, 5 and 9.

Miami-Dade has three charter amendments on the ballot:

▪ Referendum 1 would require the county to have an Office of Inspector General, which is already required by county law.

▪ Referendum 2 on the Miami-Dade ballot would end special elections to replace mayors or county commissioners when they resign in advance to run for a different office.

▪ Referendum 3 would make primaries for sheriff, elections supervisor and tax collector non-partisan — the way it stands for the county posts of mayor and commissioner. The county amendment also would maintain the non-partisan status of property appraiser.

Miami-Dade municipalities with local races and/or measures up for vote: Aventura, Biscayne Park, Cutler Bay, Doral, Key Biscayne, Medley, Miami Gardens, Miami Lakes, North Miami Beach, Opa-locka, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest and Sunny Isles Beach.

There are also ballot measures in Bal Harbour Village, Miami Beach, South Miami and Surfside.

Broward has municipal races for these positions: sheriff, state attorney, public defender, supervisor of elections and School Board District 9 runoff.

Monroe County voters in the Florida Keys will select a top prosecutor, settle three County Commission races, vote for two state lawmaker seats and one congressional post.

In addition, Key West voters in City Commission District 6 will decide a runoff between a 15-year incumbent and a political newcomer.

Citywide, voters will have a chance to decide the island’s future dealings with the cruise ship industry.

I think I forgot to sign my mail-in ballot. It might be rejected. How can I fix it?

Most instances of rejected ballots are because people forget to sign the red box, election officials say. You must sign your own ballot envelope and, for the most part, only signatures that are vastly different from the one on file are rejected.

Or, your signature may have changed significantly from even four years ago and may not match the signature on record.

Is there something wrong with your ballot signature? What you can do to make it right

If a signature is missing, or does not match the one on file, elections departments will send a letter (or e-mail or call if that information is included on the envelope) to tell you that you need to fill out an affidavit that verifies that the signature is yours.

The affidavit must be returned to the Supervisor of Elections within two days after Election Day.

Can we make it easier on the postal carrier and put all our signed mail-in ballots into one envelope?

No.

Every voter has a unique voter identification number that is associated with their political party and their home address. Everyone needs to mail back their own ballot.

And use a black or a blue pen to fill in your ballot. Save the pretty red ink for love letters.

How do I update my signature?

▪ In Miami-Dade: To update a signature, download and print the voter registration application on the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections website. Forms can also be picked up at Miami-Dade libraries.

After filling the form and signing it, it can be brought to the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections anytime from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 2700 NW 87th Ave. in Doral. Or mail it to the Supervisor of Elections, P.O. Box 521250, Doral, FL, 33152.

▪ In Broward: To review or update your voter registration information, visit https://www.browardsoe.org/Register-to-Vote/How-to-Register.

▪ In Palm Beach: The Palm Beach Supervisor of Elections encourages voters to keep their signature up to date. Voters can use an online voter registration application to update the information, and it will add the signature from your driver license or Florida ID card to your voter record. For information call 561-656-6200.

Or you can use a Florida Voter Registration Application to update your signature or identifying mark.

▪ In Monroe: Monroe registered voters can download the form on the Supervisor of Election’s website. The form can be mailed to Monroe-Supervisor of Elections, 530 Whitehead St. # 101, Key West FL 33040-6577.

How do I check to see if my mail-in ballot has been received and counted?

▪ In Miami-Dade: To check if your ballot has been accepted, use the election website’s Voter Information tool to plug in your information to check your ballot’s status.

▪ In Broward: The elections site’s Voter Lookup Free Access System lets you to check the status of your ballot and you can also use this page to update your information.

▪ In Palm Beach: The county’s main Supervisor of Elections page has a link called My Status. Click My Status to look up your ballot to see if has been received and counted.

▪ In Monroe: To check for the status of a ballot, visit www.keys-elections.org/m/Voters/My-Vote-by-Mail-Status.

I want to be a poll worker. How do I get hired?

The deadline to apply for training in Miami-Dade passed on Oct. 5 and Broward and Palm Beach counties were already staffed.

But you can apply for future elections in Miami-Dade with an online poll worker application or call 305-499-8448 to complete an application by phone.

In Broward fill out the application at www.browardsoe.org/Poll-Worker-Information/Become-a-Poll-Worker. Or call 954-357-7050 for information.

In Palm Beach fill out the application at www.pbcelections.org/Poll-Workers/Requirement. Or call 561-656-6200 for information.

In Monroe fill out the application at www.keys-elections.org/m/Poll-Worker-Information. Or call 305-292-3416.

How do I know poll workers are protected from COVID-19?

The election departments are following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations including providing all poll workers with face shields, masks and disposable gloves.