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HomeVote-By-Mail FAQ

Information provided by the League of Women Voters of Broward County

 

Note: The abbreviation "SOE" stands for Supervisor of Elections.

Why use Vote-By-Mail (VBM)? 

  • VBM allows you to vote in the privacy of your own home. You receive your ballot before Election Day, which allows you to research candidates and ballot measures before you vote. VBM allows you to vote at your convenience!
  • VBM is an insurance policy in case you cannot vote in person. 
  • Voting by mail is safe! There have been no legitimate studies that demonstrate there is increased fraud with VBM ballots.

What if I change my mind and decide to vote in person?

  • If you change your mind, that is okay. You can still vote in person during the early voting period or on Election Day.
  • Voted Vote-By-Mail Ballots cannot be returned at polling places on Election Day. If you wish to vote at a polling place on Election Day, bring your Vote-By-Mail Ballot with you to the polling place for it to be cancelled before you vote a regular ballot.
  • If you forget to bring the VBM ballot with you, don’t worry, you can still vote!

How often do I need to request a Vote-By-Mail ballot?

  • A new law requires that a request for a VBM ballot be made for each general election. All requests for VBM ballots made before January 1, 2023 are no longer valid. A VBM ballot request made in 2023 or 2024 will be valid through the end of 2024.
  • To determine if you have a valid VBM request, go to www.browardvotes.gov, click on “My Voter Info.” Fill in the requested information. The next screen will provide the information on file with the Broward County Supervisor of Elections (SOE), including your residential and mailing addresses. Check these closely to be sure they are correct.

How do I request a Vote-by-Mail?

  • Whether you request VBM online, in person, by phone or letter, you will need your Florida Driver License or Florida Identification Card or the last four numbers of your Social Security Number.
  • All the options are shown on the Broward County Supervisor of Elections (SOE) website at www.browardvotes.gov. Click on “Vote-By-Mail” button. If you don’t have access to the internet, call the SOE at 954-357-7055.
  • To make your request online, you will need an email address. Go to www.browardvotes.gov. Click on "Vote By Mail button. Scroll down the page to “Mail Ballot Request Service,” and click on “Proceed.” On the next screen, scroll down again and indicate if you are requesting VBM ballot for yourself or for someone else. Each time a new screen pops up, scroll down to find the spaces you need to complete. Note that the question regarding address asks for your house number, not your street number.
  • Please note, VBM ballots cannot be forwarded by the U.S. Postal Service. If you want your VBM ballot sent to an address that is different from the residential address on file with the SOE office, you must indicate a mailing address using the online portal or call the SOE at 954-357-7055.

Can anyone request a VBM ballot?

  • Yes – anyone who is already registered to vote can request a VBM. Florida is a “no excuse needed” VBM ballot request state. 
  • If you have not registered to vote, go online to https://registertovoteflorida.gov. You must register to vote 29 days before an election!

Is voting by mail safe?

  • Yes, it is. There have been no legitimate studies that demonstrate there is increased fraud with VBM ballots.
  • BUT, if you plan to mail your ballot, you must vote early so that you can place your VBM in the mail at least 10-14 days before the election. Postage is pre-paid by Broward County! VBM ballots must be received by the Supervisor of Elections office by 7 pm on Election Day to be counted. A postmark date of Election Day is not enough to allow the vote to be counted!
  • If you do not want to use the postal service, you can drop off your completed VBM in secure ballot intake stations (also known as drop box) at Early Voting locations or SOE offices: https://www.browardvotes.gov/Election-Information/Drop-Box-Locations

Is there a way to track my VBM ballot?

  • Yes! The Broward County SOE is using a system called “Ballottrax.” It tracks the status of your mail-in ballot, from the time it is printed to the time it is accepted. Sign up at https://browardcountyvotes.ballottrax.net/voter/. 
  • Please note, if your voter record is protected, you will not be able to receive updates via “Ballottrax,” however you can still sign up for the USPS informed delivery feature.

Will my VBM ballot be counted?

       
        Yes, it will be counted, but you must follow the directions provided! There are two main reasons why VBM ballots don’t get counted:

  1) The voter did not sign the outside mailing envelope.

  2) The voter did not mail the ballot far enough in advance for it to be received at the Supervisor of Elections office by 7 pm on Election Day. A
    postmark date on Election Day is not enough to allow the vote to be counted!

I worry that my VBM ballot will get lost in the mail. Is there any place else that I can deposit my VBM ballot?

  • Yes, but your VBM ballot must be prepared as if you were dropping it off at the post office – the ballot must be placed in the return mailing envelope and the outside of the mailing envelope signed and dated where directed.
  • You can drop off your VBM ballot in person at any Early Voting Site during the designated early voting period using a secure drop box. Early voting sites, dates and hours can be found at https://www.browardvotes.gov/Voting-Methods/Early-Voting-Dates-Hours-and-Sites
  • You can drop off your VBM ballot in person at the Broward County Supervisor of Elections offices in downtown Fort Lauderdale or the Lauderhill Equipment Center.
  • For a complete list of locations, dates and times where you can drop off your VBM ballot, go to https://www.browardvotes.gov/Election-Information/Drop-Box-Locations

Can I drop my VBM ballot off at my precinct on Election Day?

Can I have someone else drop my VBM ballot at early voting sites or SOE office?

Yes, you can designate someone else to drop off your VBM ballot. However, that person is limited in how many VBM ballots they can possess! That person is limited to:

  • voter’s own VBM ballot
  • VBM ballots of the voter’s immediate family, which includes a person’s spouse or the parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the person or the person’s spouse.
  • two (2) VBM ballots which do not belong to the voter’s immediate family.

If I use the mail to return my VBM ballot, how far in advance should I mail it?

  • Mail at least 10-14 days before Election Day. The ballot must be received (not postmarked) by the Supervisor of Elections office by 7 pm. 
  • The return mailing envelope is pre-paid by the county. You do not need to add postage!

What happens to my VBM ballot if it arrives at the Supervisor of Elections office AFTER 7 pm on Election Day?

  • The envelope is NOT opened, so your ballot is NOT counted. These unopened ballots are stored at the SOE office. They are not thrown away.
  • Per Florida Statute 101.67(2) . . . “All ballots received thereafter [after 7 pm on Election Day] shall be marked with the time and date of receipt and filed in the supervisor’s office.”

When should I expect my VBM packet to arrive at my house?

  • If you have requested your VBM ballot early, VBM packets will be mailed 40 to 33 days prior to Election Day. Remember, your ballot may not be mailed until the last day of the mailing period, and then it may take 3 to 5 days before it actually arrives at your house.
  • For those VBM ballots requested too late for the bulk mailing above, VBM ballots will still be mailed out as ballots are requested. However, the deadline to submit a request for a ballot to be mailed to you is 5 p.m. on the 12th day before an upcoming election. After this date, you or your designee can pick up a VBM ballot at the SOE's office but only due to an emergency, the voter is unable to go to a designated early voting site or to their assigned polling place on Election Day. (See F.S. 101.62(3)(d)(5)
  • Remember, the ballot must be RECEIVED by 7 pm on Election Day. A postmark on Election Day is not adequate.

What is included in the VBM packet I receive from the Supervisor of Elections?

  • There are 3 parts to the VBM packet: the ballot, the secrecy sleeve and the pre-paid, pre-addressed return mailing envelope. After marking your votes on the ballot (use blue or black pen; fill in ovals), place the voted ballot in the secrecy sleeve and then into the envelope. Be sure to sign (and date) the return mailing envelope where directed.
  • If there will be multiple VBM packets arriving to your house, keep your VBM packet separate from others in your household – bar codes on envelopes are unique to you. Look very closely at the back of the return mailing envelope, where you place your signature. Just below the bar code will be your name (in small print) – easy to miss, but very useful.
  • Do NOT place more than one VBM ballot into a return mailing envelope! Doing this will mean neither ballot will be counted.

What is the most frequent reason that VBM ballots are rejected?

  • The primary reason VBM ballots are rejected is because voters did not sign the return mailing envelope!

Why am I asked to supply my email address and phone numbers on the outside of the return mailing envelope?

  • Florida election laws requires this information be requested. However, you are not required to supply it. 
  • BUT, it is very helpful to add this information. If there is a problem with your VBM ballot (perhaps you forgot to sign the envelope?), the Supervisor of Elections office can quickly contact you and have the problem with your VBM ballot corrected. This may be the difference between your vote being counted or not. Only the postal service employees or the SOE employees will see this information.

What does it mean when there is a “signature mismatch”? [Note: less than 0.1% of VBM ballots are rejected for signature mismatches!]

  • Trained SOE employees compare your signature on the outside of the return envelope with your signature on file in your voter record. If they believe the signature on the envelope does not match the signature on file, the envelope (with the ballot) is reviewed further by the 3-member Canvassing Board, who are also trained by a certified handwriting expert.
  • The Canvassing Board is composed of a Broward County Court Judge, the Supervisor of Elections and a designated member of the Broward County Commission. Only the Canvassing Board can reject a VBM ballot. SOE employees cannot reject a VBM ballot.

How do I know if my signature on file with the SOE office (my voter record) will match my signature on the outside of my VBM ballot envelope?

  • If you registered to vote online, the signature on file will be the same as on the one on your Florida Driver’s License or Florida Identification Card.
    If you don’t remember how or when you registered to vote, use your Driver’s License signature as your guide.
  • This is why it is so useful to add your email address and phone numbers to the outside of the mailing envelope. If there is a signature mismatch, the SOE office will be able to contact you quickly.
  • You can update your signature at https://registertovoteflorida.gov. You are essentially reregistering to vote using your Florida Driver’s License or Florida Identification Card.
  • If your signature has changed and updating your signature via the online portal will not solve the issue, then you can update your signature using the paper Voter Registration application, available for download at https://registertovoteflorida.gov 

What happens if my VBM ballot is rejected?

  • You will be contacted by the Broward County Supervisor of Elections office, and they will tell you what you need to do to correct the problem.
  • By providing your email address and phone numbers on the outside of the mailing envelope, the SOE office can contact you quickly. Otherwise, it will be done mail, which takes much longer.
  • You need to respond quickly to the SOE request, as you only have until 5:00 pm on the second day after the election to get the appropriate paperwork back to the SOE office in order for your ballot to be counted.

I forgot to request my VBM and I can't go to the polls in person. Now what do I do?

  • The deadline to submit a request for a ballot to be mailed to you is 5 p.m. on the 12th day before an upcoming election. After this date, you or your designee can pick up a VBM ballot at the SOE’s office but only due to an emergency, the voter is unable to go to a designated early voting site or to their assigned polling place on Election Day (See F.S. §101.62(3)(d)(5)).
  • Remember, the ballot must be RECEIVED by 7 pm on Election Day. A postmark on Election Day is not adequate.

Can I request VBM ballots for my family members or my neighbors?

  • To make a request on behalf of someone else, you MUST be an immediate family member or legal guardian of the voter. You cannot make a request for anyone else. The request can be completed online at www.browardvotes.gov, click on “Vote-By-Mail” button, scroll down and follow instructions. 
  • BOTH the voter and the immediate family member completing the form will need to provide their Florida Driver License number or Florida Identification Card number or the last four numbers of their Social Security Number. If you have issues, call the SOE at 954-357-7055.

When do VBM ballots actually get counted?

  • County Canvassing Boards may begin canvassing Vote-By-Mail ballots upon completion of the public Logic and Accuracy Testing of tabulation machines/equipment, pursuant to Section 101.5612(2), Florida Statutes. 
  • Although Vote-By-Mail ballots are being processed by the SOE office every day prior to Election Day, results cannot be released until 7 pm on Election Day.

 

 Click here for a PDF of this information you can print and distribute.

Updated April 1, 2024

Vote By Mail envelope