A year's worth of election news has happened in the last few weeks, but the election is in fact getting closer. Mail-in ballots for the Aug. 20 primary election have started going out and early voting locations are already open in some locations, although Tropical Storm/Hurricane Debby shut a few down for a day.
Here's what you need to know.
When is the Florida Primary Election for 2024?
The primary election in Florida is on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.
What is early voting?
There are often long lines at the polls every Election Day, especially in areas without enough polling locations, with voters sometimes waiting for hours to cast their ballots, and some people can't get to the polls on a Tuesday.
To help alleviate that, early voting was established to let people to vote early at a more convenient time, with the same equipment used on Election Day.
When does early voting in Florida start and end?
Any election that includes a state or federal race is required to offer early voting, which must run from at least the 10th day before the election to the 3rd day before the election.Each county Supervisor of Elections may choose to offer more early voting days, starting up to five days earlier or lasting one day longer.
Here are the early voting dates by county in Florida. Click the county names for more information and locations.
- Alachua: Aug. 5-17, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Baker: Aug. 8-17, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Bay: Aug. 5-17, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Bradford: Aug. 5-18, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Brevard: Aug. 10-17, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday-Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Broward: Aug. 10-18, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Calhoun: Aug. 8-17 at the Supervisor of Elections Office, Aug. 10-17 at Shelton Park Library
- Charlotte: Aug. 5-18, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m
- Citrus: Aug. 9-17, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Clay: Aug. 8-17, from 8 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Collier: Aug. 10-17, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Columbia: Aug. 10-17, from 8:30 a.m. to 6p.m.
- DeSoto: Aug. 5-17, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday-Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Dixie: Aug. 10-17, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 11 from 8 a.m.to 4 p.m.
- Duval: Aug. 7-18, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Escambia: Aug. 10-17, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Flagler: Aug. 10-17, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Franklin: Aug. 8-17, from 8:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Gadsden: Aug. 7-18, no times provided
- Gilchrist: Aug. 10-17, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Glades: Aug. 10-17, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Gulf: Aug. 10-17, no times listed yet
- Hamilton: Aug. 10-17, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Hardee: Aug. 8-17, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Hendry: Aug. 5-17, from 7 a.m.to 7p.m.
- Hernando: Aug. 10-17, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Highlands: Aug. 8-17, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Hillsborough: Aug. 5-18, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Holmes: Aug. 10-17, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Indian River:Aug. 10-17, from 8a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Jackson: Aug. 6-17, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Jefferson: Aug. 6-17, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Lafayette: Aug. 10-17, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Lake: Aug. 8-17, from 10 a.m.to 6 p.m.
- Lee: Aug. 10-17, from 10 a.m.to 6 p.m.
- Leon: Aug. 10-18, most locations from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Leon County Courthouse open from 8a.m. - 4p.m.
- Levy: Aug. 6-17, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Liberty: Aug. 6-17, from 8 a.m. to 4p.m.
- Madison: Aug. 10-17, no times listed yet
- Manatee: Aug. 10-17, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30p.m.
- Marion: Aug. 10-17, from no times listed yet
- Martin: Aug. 10-17, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Miami-Dade: Aug. 5-18, various times
- Monroe: Aug. 5-17, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Nassau: Aug. 7-17, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Okaloosa: Aug. 10-17, no times listed yet
- Okeechobee: Aug. 10-17, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Orange: Aug. 5-18, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Osceola: Aug. 5-18, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Palm Beach: Aug. 10-18, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Pasco: Aug. 10-17, no times listed yet
- Pinellas: Aug. 10-18, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Polk: Aug. 10-17, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Putnam: Aug. 5-17, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Santa Rosa:Aug. 5-17, from 8:30 a.m.to4:30 p.m.
- Sarasota: Aug. 10-18, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Seminole: Aug. 10-17, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- St. Johns: Aug. 10-17, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- St. Lucie:Aug. 10-17, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sumter: Aug. 10-17, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Suwannee: Aug. 10-17, no times listed yet
- Taylor: Aug. 5-18, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Union: Aug. 10-17, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Volusia: Aug. 10-17, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Wakulla: Aug. 10-17, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Walton: Aug. 10-17, various times
- Washington: Aug. 5-17, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Do I need an ID for early voting in Florida?
To cast a ballot at an early voting site, you must have a photo ID. Acceptable IDs include:
- Florida Driver License
- Florida ID Card (issued by DHSMV)
- U.S. Passport
- Debit or Credit Card
- Military ID
- Student ID
- Retirement Center ID
- Neighborhood Association ID
- Public Assistance ID
- Veteran Health ID (issued by the US Department of Veterans Affairs)
- Concealed Weapon License (issued pursuant to F.S. 790.06)
- Employee ID card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality.
If your photo ID does not include your signature, you will be asked to provide another ID that has your signature.
Can I still vote in Florida if I forgot or don't have an ID?
If you don't have an ID with you when you vote you'll still be allowed to, but you will be required to vote a provisional ballot which will later be evaluated by a canvassing board to make sure it's eligible.
