Secretary of State Reminds Voters About Early Voting Options

TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – Secretary of State Cord Byrd reminded Florida voters about early voting options for the Nov. 8 election.

All 67 counties will offer early voting from Oct. 29 through Nov. 5 at early voting sites. As of Monday, more than 30 counties began early voting.

Florida’s election laws provide eight days of in-person early voting. Counties have the choice to offer six more days.

The Division of Elections posts early voting dates, times and locations for all counties on its website. Voters can also contact their local Supervisor of Elections office for information on early voting in their county.

Florida voters can either vote-by-mail, vote early and vote at polls on Election Day. Local Supervisor of Elections offices can provide more details.

“Some counties may offer additional days of early voting and counties severely impacted by Hurricane Ian have more flexibility in providing early voting options to their voters,” Byrd said.

Following the hurricane, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order to help ensure ballot access for voters in counties severely affected by the storm.

The order allows the Supervisors of Elections in Charlotte, Lee, and Sarasota counties to:

• Extend the number of days for early voting and designate additional early voting locations. The early voting period may begin as early as Monday, October 24, 2022, and can extend through Election Day, November 8, 2022.
• Allow voters in Charlotte, Lee, and Sarasota counties to request by phone that their vote-by-mail (VBM) ballot be mailed to an address other than their address of record. Voters must still provide an appropriate form of identification in the same manner as absent uniform service and overseas voters.
• Designate and provide notice of the locations for secure ballot intake stations and relocate and consolidate polling locations as necessary.
• Increase the pool of eligible poll workers who may serve within Charlotte, Lee, and Sarasota counties by making eligible any poll workers previously trained for the 2020 election cycle and thereafter and by encouraging state employees to serve as poll workers in these counties.

The governor’s office said there is damage to polling locations and early voting sites, poll worker unavailability, and displaced voters in the three counties.

DeSantis Extending Early Voting for Counties That Requested Accommodations, Not Politically Targeted

The governor signed the executive order at the request of the Supervisors of Elections in Charlotte, Lee, and Sarasota counties, and at the recommendation of Byrd. He conducted assessments of dozens of counties affected by Hurricane Ian and recommended modifications be made for Charlotte, Lee, and Sarasota Counties.

For more information, visit the Division of Elections’ website at dos.myflorida.com/elections.