Early voting for the Florida primaries has now ended, with primary election day taking place on Aug. 20 as the 2024 election cycle moves into full swing.
Besides picking the next president, voters will get to choose a U.S. Senator and members of the U.S. House, Florida Senate and Florida House — as well as local races, which now include some brand new positions such as Miami-Dade County Sheriff and the Broward County tax collector.
These positions come as a result of a statewide ballot amendment passed in 2018, mandating every county to elect five totally independent “constitutional offices."
READ MORE: What to know about the new positions on the ballots for Miami-Dade, Broward
Read on for county-by-county information on how and where to vote, as well as how to look up which candidates and what questions are on your ballot and how to make sure that your vote-by-mail ballot counts. You can read WLRN's Voter Guide for detailed information on candidates for federal and state races in South Florida.
Jump to:
Deadlines
Registering to vote in South Florida
Vote-by-mail ballots
Voting in person on Election Day
What you'll need to vote on Election Day
Detailed info by county:
Broward
Miami-Dade
Monroe
Palm Beach
Primary election deadlines
Florida’s primary election is being held on Aug. 20, 2024. Because Florida holds closed primaries, voters have to be registered with a party to participate in that party’s primary.
Regardless of party affiliation, voters could have other races on their ballots, like school board or judicial seats.
Each county’s official election website can provide voters with a sample ballot detailing all the races and questions they will be voting on. Check here for Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties.
- Deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation: July 22
- Deadline to request that ballot be mailed: Aug. 8
- Early voting period (mandatory period): Aug, 10 – 18
- Election Day: Aug. 20
General election deadlines
For Primary Election
- Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act voters: July 6
- Deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation: July 22
For the General Election:
- Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act voters: Sept. 21
- Deadline to register to vote: Oct. 7 (no deadline to change party affiliation)
- Early voting period (mandatory period): Oct. 26 – Nov. 2
- Election Day: Nov. 5
Registering to vote in South Florida
Register to vote in the 2024 General Election here. The deadline has passed to register to vote for Florida's Primary Election.
To cast a ballot in the general election you have to be a U.S. citizen, a Florida resident and at least 18 years old. You also have to be registered to vote in the state.
Vote-by-mail ballots
Your completed ballot must reach your county's elections department no later than 7:00 p.m. on the day of the election. If you have one, you can send it via the United States Postal Service or drop it off in person — during business hours — at a secure drop box.
Voters who wait until Election Day to submit their vote-by-mail ballot cannot drop it off at their precinct — it will need to be dropped off at their county's elections department offices. Check for those details in the links above or go county-by-county below.
If you received a vote-by-mail ballot, but would rather cast your ballot on Election Day, you can do that, but you must bring your mail-in ballot with you to your assigned voting precinct. Elections officials have to cancel that ballot so you can vote in person.
MORE ELECTION DAY COVERAGE:
- Latest News: Primary Election Day in South Florida
- Elections 2024: Know Your Federal, State Candidates
- Primary election day: Here is how and where to vote in South Florida
There are some restrictions to keep in mind if you will be dropping off mail-in ballots at any point. According to Florida law, a person may only bring two signed and sealed vote-by-mail ballots besides their own, except for immediate family members — this means a person’s spouse or the parent, child, grandparent, grandchild or sibling of the person or the person’s spouse. Find more details on who and how to request a mail ballot here.
If you mailed your ballot or dropped it off at a polling place during early voting, you can track the status of your ballot online by visiting your county's supervisor of elections website. Check to see the status of your mail-in ballot in Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach.
Voting in person on Election Day
For those who are voting in person and have not cast their ballot by the end of early voting, polling stations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m on Election Day, Nov. 5. Any voters waiting in line at 7 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot; if you arrive at your precinct later than 7 p.m., you will not be able to vote.
We have specific information for your county below, but you can find your precinct here. All voters must bring appropriate identification to the polls — we have details below or check here for more information.
What you'll need to vote at your polling place on Election Day
- A current and valid photo identification with a signature. Approved forms of photo ID include Florida driver's license; a Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles; U.S. passport; debit or credit card; military identification; student identification.
- If the photo identification does not have a signature, you must provide additional identification with your signature.
- A voter information card is not an acceptable form of ID. Your card is a good source of information about your voter registration including your assigned precinct and polling location for Election Day.
Voters can also request language accommodations and accessible voting for people with disabilities.
You can find detailed information for voting for your county below.
Broward County
Early voting
On Election Day, voters in Broward County must visit their assigned polling station within their precinct, which you can find here. You can check your sample ballot and other voting information at the County Supervisor of Elections here.
Check here for other details, including how to return your vote-by-mail ballot.
READ MORE: Broward candidates forum: Tax Collector, Clerk of Courts and Elections Supervisor
Miami-Dade County
Early voting
Voters can view a customized sample ballot along with other information including polling locations here. On Election Day, voters must go to a poll within their precinct. For more information, Miami-Dade County’s voter information guide is available in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.
READ MORE: Miami-Dade sheriff's race: 17 candidates. A look at disciplinary and use-of-force histories
Monroe County
Early voting
Early voting polls will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Supervisor of Elections Offices:
- 5200 College Rd. Key West
- 10015 Overseas Hwy, Marathon
- 102050 Overseas Hwy #137, Key Largo
- Big Pine Key Community Park | End of Sands Road, 31009 Atlantis Dr. | Big Pine Key
- Islamorada Branch Library | 81830 Overseas Hwy., MM. 81.7 | Islamorada
On Election Day, voters must visit a poll within their precinct, which you can find here. You can view a customized sample ballot and other voting information here. Sample ballots, in English and Spanish, at the County Supervisor of Elections can be found here.
Check here for details on your mail-in ballot, including how to return it.
Palm Beach County
Early voting
Voters in Palm Beach County can find their sample ballot and voting locations here. On Election Day, voters must visit a poll within their precinct. That information can be found at the County Supervisor of Elections here.
READ MORE: Palm Beach County supervisor of elections warns against scams, expects higher in-person voting
Check here for details on vote-by-mail ballots, including how to return your ballot.
