Voter Registrtion Info

Who Can Register to Vote
In order to register to vote in Florida, you must:

Be a citizen of the United States of America;
Be a Florida resident;
Be 18 years old (you may pre-register to vote if you are 17 years old or have received a valid Florida driver’s license, whichever occurs earlier);
Not now be adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or any other state;
Not have been convicted of a felony without your civil rights having been restored; and
Provide your current and valid Florida driver’s license number or Florida identification card number. You must provide the last four digits of your Social Security Number if you do not have a Florida driver’s license number or a Florida identification card number. If you do not have any of these items, you must mark the box indicated on the Voter Registration Application as “NONE.”

How to Apply to Register to Vote
Fill in the Voter Registration Application online. If you wish, you can print the application and write your information in with a black ballpoint pen.
Print the application out.
Verify that all of the information on your application is complete. The office where you register, your decision not to register, your Social Security Number, Florida driver’s license number and your Florida identification card number will remain confidential and will be used only for voter registration purposes.
Sign your application. The application requires an original signature because you are swearing or affirming to an oath.
Place the application in an envelope with a first class stamp.
Mail the application to your county Supervisor of Elections. You may also opt to mail or hand deliver the application to any Supervisor of Elections' office in the state, a driver’s license office, a voter registration agency, an armed forces recruitment office, or the Division of Elections.
If your application is complete and you qualify as a voter, the Supervisor of Elections will mail you a voter information card as official notification that you are registered to vote. Make sure all of the information on your card is correct. If you do not receive your card within 8 weeks, or if you have any questions, call your Supervisor of Elections.
You must be registered for at least 29 days before you can vote in an election.
If the information on the application is not true, the applicant can be convicted of a felony of the third degree and fined up to $5,000 and/or imprisoned for up to 5 years.


Dates to Remember When Registering to Vote
Your Registration Date
For new applicants, your registration date is the date your completed application is postmarked or hand delivered to any Supervisor of Elections' office in the state, a driver’s license office, a voter registration agency, an armed forces recruitment office, or the Division of Elections.

When You Can Vote
You must be registered for at least 29 days before you can vote in an election. Since Florida is a closed primary state, only voters who are registered members of a political parties may vote for their respective party's candidates in a primary election. Voters without party affiliation are not eligible to vote for party candidates in a primary election. However, a constitutional amendment adopted in 1998 states that IF all candidates for an office have the same party affiliation and the winner will have no opposition in the general election, all qualified voters, regardless of party affiliation, may vote in the primary election for that office. Party changes must be made by the end of the 29th day before the Primary Election. If you are not registered to vote in the political party for which the primary election is being held, you may vote for nonpartisan candidates and issues.

2008 Voter Registration Book Closing Dates
You can apply to register to vote at any time. However, to vote in an election, you must be registered in the state by the book closing date, which is normally the 29th day before each election. The book closing dates for the 2008 election cycle are:

July 28, 2008..................Primary Election
October 6, 2008.............General Election