Voter's Guide

 The Book Closing Date is the statewide deadline to register to vote, or change your political party for any election if you are already registered. For first time voters in Florida, a completed voter registration form must be in the Supervisor of Elections' Office, or postmarked, by the book closing date. If you have relocated to a new address within Florida, register that address with the Supervisor of Elections' Office as soon as possible.

An online sample ballot will usually be available 30-35 days prior to an election. Immediately following the election, the sample ballot will be replaced by the election results.

A provisional ballot is a paper ballot issued at the polls. The ballot is not cast until the validity of the ballot is determined by the Pasco County Canvassing Board upon evidence provided by the voter and the supervisor of elections staff. A person casting a provisional ballot shall have the right to present written evidence supporting his or her eligibility to vote to the supervisor of elections by no later than 5 p.m. on the second day following the election.

Pursuant to Florida Statutes, the following voters will be issued a provisional ballot:

• A voter claiming to be properly registered in the state and eligible to vote at the precinct but whose eligibility cannot be determined.
• A voter who refutes the supervisor’s office confirmation that he/she is not registered/eligible.
• A voter who is not able to provide picture/signature identification at the polls.
• A voter who has been challenged prior to election day or at the precinct on election day.
• A voter whom the precinct register indicates voted early, but the pollworker is unable to verify if the voter already voted.
• A voter who refutes the indication on the precinct register that they have already voted early or by mail, and the pollworker is able to confirm by phone call to the elections’ office.
• A voter whose signature on their ID does not match their signature on the precinct register and refuses to complete an affidavit.
• A voter whose Florida Driver License #, Florida Identification # or Social Security # has not yet been verified by the Department of State in conjunction with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Florida law requires two forms of identification at the polls. In order to vote you must present both signature and photo identification. It can be one form of identification, such as a Florida driver license, or two separate forms of identification. For example, you may have a membership card with your photograph on it but not your signature. You would then need to present a second form of identification with your signature on it.

Examples of Picture Identification:

• Florida driver license
• Florida identification card
• U.S. passport
• Military ID
• Debit or Credit Card
• Retirement Center ID
• Student ID
• Neighborhood Association ID
• Public Assistance ID
• Florida Concealed Weapon or Firearm License
• Veteran Health Identification Card
• Government Employee Identification Card

If you do not have proper ID, you must vote a Provisional Ballot, which is a paper ballot issued at the polling place or at the early voting site to a voter who does not provide photo and signature identification or whose eligibility to vote cannot be determined. Additionally, it will take you longer to be processed to vote. A person casting a provisional ballot shall have the right to present written evidence supporting his or her eligibility to vote to the supervisor of elections by not later than 5 p.m. on the second day following the election.

Has your signature changed? When you return a vote by mail ballot or sign a petition, your signature is verified against the signature we have on file. If the signatures do not match, your vote by mail ballot may not be counted or your petition may not be accepted.

Voters may update their signature by completing the printable Florida Voter Registration Application (DS-DE 39)

Military personnel may apply for voter registration or request Vote by Mail ballots with a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) which may be obtained from the Unit Voting Officer or is available online.

If already a registered voter, vote by mail ballots may be requested by e-mail, phone, or in writing. All requests must be sent to the Supervisor of Elections office. Spouses and dependents are considered to be of the same category of vote by mail voter as military members and generally should follow the same rules.

Federal portions of general election and presidential preference primary ballots voted by persons outside the U.S. are counted if postmarked no later than election day and received within 10 days of the election. Additional military election information is available from:

• For Election Materials (Including FPCA/FWAB printable forms) go to:http://www.fvap.gov/eo/overview/materials/forms
• For Election Official Information (Guides for Processing Voting Materials / Sending Ballots / Election Official Online Training) go to: http://www.fvap.gov/eo
• For the electronic Voting Assistance Guide go to: http://www.fvap.gov/vao/vag
• FVAP.gov homepage go to: http://www.fvap.gov/

Each registered voter in this state should:

1. Familiarize himself or herself with the candidates and issues.
2. Maintain with the office of the supervisor of elections a current address.
3. Know the location of his or her polling place and its hours of operation.
4. Bring proper identification to the polling station.
5. Familiarize himself or herself with the operation of the voting equipment in his or her precinct.
6. Treat precinct workers with courtesy.
7. Respect the privacy of other voters.
8. Report any problems or violations of election laws to the supervisor of elections.
9. Ask questions, if needed.
10. Make sure that his or her completed ballot is correct before leaving the polling station.

NOTE TO VOTER: Failure to perform any of these responsibilities does not prohibit a voter from voting.

(Section 101.031(2), Florida Statutes)

Each registered voter in this state has the right to:

1. Vote and have his or her vote accurately counted.
2. Cast a vote if he or she is in line at the official closing of the polls in that county.
3. Ask for and receive assistance in voting.
4. Receive up to two replacement ballots if he or she makes a mistake prior to the ballot being cast.
5. An explanation if his or her registration is in question.
6. If his or her registration is in question, cast a provisional ballot.
7. Prove his or her identity by signing an affidavit if election officials doubt the voter’s identity.
8. Written instructions to use when voting, and, upon request, oral instructions in voting from election officers.
9. Vote free from coercion or intimidation by elections officers or any other person.
10. Vote on a voting system that is in working condition and that will allow votes to be accurately cast.

(Section 101.031(2), Florida Statutes)