Vote by Mail Frequently Asked Questions What does it mean to Vote

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Vote by Mail

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to Vote by Mail?

All voters have the option of voting from the convenience of their own home simply by

requesting a Vote-by-Mail ballot. A paper ballot is mailed to the voter to be marked and

returned to the Elections Department. It must be received no later than 7 pm on Election

Day.

How do I request a Vote-by-Mail ballot?

Any voter may request a Vote-by-Mail ballot. All you have to do is request one. The

easiest and fastest options are:

• Online

• By phone: 305-499-8444

You may also submit a request in writing by using the Statewide Vote-By-Mail Ballot

Request Form (Español) (Kreyòl).

You can submit the form by:

• Email: votebymail@miamidade.gov (as an attachment)

• Fax: 305-499-8401

• Mail or In-person

o Miami-Dade Elections Department

2700 NW 87th Avenue, Miami, FL 33172

o Stephen P. Clark Center (VIC) (Countywide Elections only)

111 NW 1st Street, Lobby, Miami, FL 33128

What is the deadline to request a Vote-by-Mail ballot?

• All requests for a Vote-by-Mail ballot must be received by 5 pm on the 12th day

before the election.

• All Vote-by-Mail ballots must be mailed by the Elections Department no later than

the 10th day before the election.

What if I want my Vote-by-Mail ballot to be sent to a different address?

If you want your Vote-by-Mail ballot sent to an address that's different from the one on file

with the Elections Department, you must send a signed Statewide Vote-By-Mail Ballot

Request Form (Español) (Kreyòl).

Can someone else request a Vote-by-Mail ballot on my behalf?

A legal guardian and an immediate family member may request a Vote-by-Mail ballot on

behalf of another person. Immediate family includes the designee’s spouse or the parent,

child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the designee or designee’s spouse.

How long is my vote by mail request valid?

Voters may choose to receive a Vote-by-Mail ballot for a specific election, or for all

elections in which they are eligible to vote through the end of the calendar year of the next

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regularly scheduled General Election. Then, they will need to renew for the next election

cycle.

Can someone else handle my Vote-by-Mail ballot on my behalf?

Per Chapter 12, Section 14 of the Miami-Dade County Code, a person can request and

receive a Vote-by-Mail ballot for you if you make them your authorized designee.

If the person designated by the voter is an immediate family member, the Vote-by-Mail

ballot can be requested and provided to your designee on the day before and on the day

of the election.

If designee is a legal guardian who is not an immediate family member, the ballot can only

be requested and provided to your designee on the day of the election.

To authorize a designee, the following options are available:

• The designee and voter complete the form (Español) (Kreyòl). Picture identification

of the designee must be presented along with the completed form when requesting

the Vote-by-Mail ballot.

• The designee completes the form and the voter provides a written request

containing specific information found on the Vote-by-Mail ballot Request Policy

(Español) (Kreyòl) and the Vote-by-Mail Return Policy (Español) (Kreyòl). The

picture ID, the form, and the voter's written request must be presented when

requesting the Vote-by-Mail ballot.

This process also allows the authorized designee to return the ballot on your behalf to the

Elections Department in-person:

• Miami-Dade Elections Department

2700 NW 87th Avenue, Miami, FL 33172

• Stephen P. Clark Center Voter Information Center (VIC) (Countywide Elections

only)

111 NW 1st, Street, Lobby, Miami, FL 33128

It must be received no later than 7 pm on Election Day.

If I’m in the military, how do I request a Vote-by-Mail ballot?

The easiest way is to submit the form Online.

All Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) voters can easily

get answers and important information such as vote by mail voting regulations, laws,

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deadlines and procedures.

The UOCAVA allows members of the U.S. uniformed services (on active duty) and

merchant marines, and their family members to vote by mail.

Visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program website for election information, access to the

online Federal Post Card Application, and links to state government home pages and other

sites with election information and results.

Military Voters may view the Florida Department of State’s website to find useful

information regarding Florida laws, programs and benefits for Active Duty, National Guard

and Reserve Service Members and Families.

If I’m a U.S. citizen living overseas, how do I request a Vote-by-Mail ballot?

The easiest way is to submit the form Online.

All Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) voters can easily

get answers and important information such as vote by mail voting regulations, laws,

deadlines and procedures.

The UOCAVA allows U.S. citizens residing outside of the United States to vote by mail.

Visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program website for election information, access to the

online Federal Post Card Application, and links to state government home pages and other

sites with election information and results.

How will I receive my ballot if I am overseas and do I have additional time to return

the ballot?

If you are overseas and filled out a Federal Post Card Application, you can receive your

ballot by mail, email or fax. For the Presidential Preference Primary Election and General

Election, your ballot will be counted as long as (1) it is postmarked no later than Election

Day and (2) it is received no later than 10 days after Election Day. For the Primary Election,

your ballot must be received no later than 7 pm on Election Day.

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When returning your ballot, you may do so by mail or fax. Ballots returned by email are not

accepted.

When will I receive my Vote-by-Mail ballot?

This depends on when you requested it. If your request was submitted far in advance of

an election, Vote-by-Mail ballots are mailed, emailed, or faxed to overseas voters

(depending how you opted to receive your ballot) 45 days prior to each countywide election

and domestic voters are mailed their Vote-by-Mail ballot (email is not permitted by law) 40

days prior to each countywide election. After this initial mail out, ballots are mailed within

2 days of receiving the request.

How do I fill out my Vote-by-Mail ballot?

It is imperative when voting by mail ballot that voters carefully follow the instructions

included with their ballot. Use blue or black ink to bubble in the oval next to your selections.

You must also sign inside the red box on the back of the Vote-by-Mail envelope provided.

Click here to view the vote by mail overview video.

Why must I sign inside the red box?

It is important to sign in the red box of your Vote-by-Mail ballot envelope. The signature on

your ballot envelope is compared to the signature on record at the Elections Department.

This is how we validate your Vote-by-Mail ballot.

What do I do if my signature has changed?

Because it's common for signatures to change over the years, please make sure your latest

signature is on file with the Elections Department. To update your signature, voters may use

the Voter Registration Application (Español) (Kreyòl) to submit their update. Updates

submitted on a Voter Registration Application must contain the voter's original signature.

Signature updates must be completed before a voter’s Vote-by-Mail ballot is received.

What happens if I forget to sign inside the red box or my signature doesn’t match?

There is a section on the outside of your Vote-by-Mail envelope to provide us with your

email, home, and cellular number. Voters are encouraged to fill out this information.

In the event of a signature deficiency, you will be contacted using this information.

Florida law allows you the opportunity to submit an affidavit to cure your Vote-by-Mail

ballot. The affidavit must be completed and submitted to the Elections Department along

with a copy of the voter’s identification, by 5 pm on the 2nd day after an election.

To view and print the English Vote-by-Mail ballot cure affidavit, click here.

To view and print the Spanish and Creole Vote-by-Mail ballot cure affidavit, click here.

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How do I return my Vote-by-Mail ballot?

By Mail – A Vote-by-Mail ballot may be returned via the United States Postal Service

and must be received by 7 pm on Election Day. Ballots should be mailed to:

Supervisor of Elections

P.O. Box 521650

Miami, Florida 33152

Dropped off at any Early Voting location during the hours of operation via secure

ballot intake station.

In Person during business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm)

• Miami-Dade Elections Department

2700 NW 87th Avenue, Miami, FL 33172

• Stephen P. Clark Center Voter Information Center (VIC) (Countywide Elections

only)

111 NW 1st Street, Lobby, Miami, FL 33128

By Voter’s Designee – May return no more than two ballots other than his or her own

per election, except that additional ballots may be returned for the designee’s spouse or

the parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the designee or designee’s

spouse. Additionally, a legal guardian who is not a family member may return a ballot on

your behalf on the day of the election only.

Is postage required when returning my ballot?

Postage is paid for you during countywide elections. A stamp is not required.

Is there a way to track my Vote-by-Mail ballot?

Yes! On the Elections Department website, you can track:

• Whether you have a request on file

• Date the ballot was mailed to you

• Date the ballot was received by the Elections Department

• If the ballot was counted. If there was a signature deficiency, a link to the Cure

Affidavit is provided

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

No. Florida law does not allow this. If a voter waits until Election Day to submit their ballot,

they can either drop it off at the Elections Department or they can opt to vote in person at

their precinct once the election board confirms the voter’s Vote-by-Mail ballot has not been

received.