Election 2022 Information for Winter Haven, FL

Voter Registration

Registration Deadline: The last day to register to vote for an election is 29 days before that election.

Party Affiliation: 

Florida is a closed primary state. Only voters who are registered members of political parties may vote for respective party candidates or nominees for an office in a primary election including a presidential preference primary election.

However, there are times when all registered voters can vote in a primary election, regardless of which major or minor political party they are registered or even if they are registered without a specific party affiliation:

1. If all the candidates for an office have the same party affiliation and the winner of the primary election will not face any opposition in the general election (i.e. no write-in candidates have qualified), then all registered voters can vote for any of the candidates for that office in the primary election.

2. If races for nonpartisan (i.e., free from party affiliation) judicial and school board offices, nonpartisan special districts or local referendum questions are on the primary election ballot, then all registered voters, including those without party affiliation are entitled to vote those races on the ballot.

At a general election, all registered voters receive the same ballot and may vote for any candidate or question on the ballot. If there are write-in candidates who have qualified for a particular office, a space will be left on the ballot where their name can be written.

Voter Registration Qualifications

Age: Must be at least 18 years old to register (You may pre-register to vote if you are 16 years old)

Citizenship: Must be a United States citizen

Residency: Must be a resident of Florida and a resident of the county in which you wish to vote in.

Mental Competency: Not have been adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or any other state without having the right to vote restored

Felony Convictions: Not have been convicted of a felony without your civil rights having been restored. For more information click here

Obtaining a Voter Registration Form

Online: Click on this link

In person: Pick up a Florida voter registration application from the office of your county supervisor of elections or any local library or any entity authorized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to issue permits for fishing, hunting or trapping.

By mail/in writing: Fill out this form (Spanish) and send it completed to your local board supervisor.

Verifying Your Voter Registration Status

Online: Florida online voter registration verification

REQUESTING A VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT

Deadline: 5 p.m. on the 10th day before the election.

You may request a vote-by-mail ballot through your county Supervisor of Elections by signed writing (e.g., mail, fax, or scanned attachment to an email),  by telephone, or in person at your Supervisor of Elections office. 

The voter's request must include the following information:

1. The voter's name;

2. The voter’s date of birth;

3. The voter’s address (If the request is to mail the ballot to an address other than the one on file, the request must be a signed writing. An exception exists for absent uniformed service voter or an overseas voter seeking a vote-by-mail ballot.);

4. The voter’s signature (if the request is written).

A voter can designate an immediate family member (the designee's spouse or the parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the designee or of the designee's spouse) or the voter's legal guardian to request the ballot on their behalf. The following additional information is required for the request if the request is made on behalf of the voter:

1. The requestor’s address;

2. The requestor’s driver’s license number, state identification card, or the last four digits of the elector’s social security number (if available);

3. The requestor’s relationship to the voter;

4. The requestor’s signature (if the request is written).

Military and overseas voting: The FPCA (Online Assistant or PDF form) is made available through the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP). You may also call, mail, fax, or email your County Supervisor of Elections to request a voter registration application or a vote-by-mail ballot. For more information click here.

SUBMITTING A VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT

Location and time: A voter can pick up their own vote-by-mail ballot at any time once the ballot becomes available, including Election Day. However, the voted ballot must be returned and received by the Supervisor of Elections’ office no later than 7p.m. on Election Day. 

If the voter decides to go to the polls to vote instead of voting by mail, the voter should bring the vote-by-mail ballot (marked or not). The vote-by-mail ballot will be canceled and the voter can vote a regular ballot at the polls.

A vote-by-mail voter may drop off a voted vote-by-mail ballot at a designated secure drop box at early voting sites in the election. Please contact the county Supervisor of Elections or refer to their website for the location of all the vote-by-mail ballot secure drop boxes in your county.

Any voter who has requested a vote-by-mail ballot can track online the status of his or her ballot through a link within the Division of Elections' Voter Information Lookup or through their county Supervisor of Elections' website.

Early Voting

Early voting is required in any election that contains a state or federal office race. The early voting period must start at least on the 10th day before the election and end on the 3rd day before the election. In addition, supervisors of elections have the option to offer more early voting on the 15th, 14th, 13th, 12th, 11th, or 2nd day before an election. 

Early voting hours must be at least eight hours but no more than 12 hours per day on each site during the applicable period.

Voters who want to vote early should present the following at the early voting site:

*a valid photo identification; and

*a signature identification.

VOTING ON ELECTION DAY

The polls are open on Election Day, from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Any voters waiting in line at 7:00 p.m. will have the opportunity to cast a ballot.

Whether during early voting or on Election Day, you will be asked to provide at the polls a valid photo ID with signature. Click here for more information.

You should not be turned away from the polls because you do not bring identification. If you do not have the proper identification, you will be allowed to vote a provisional ballot. Click here for more information.

Additional Information

Deciding how to vote: https://votesmart.org/

Voting for Persons with Disabilities: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/for-voters/voting/accessible-voting-for-persons-with-disabilities/

Polling Place: Polling Place Locator. Polling places are also found by contacting your local County Supervisor of Elections

Florida voting systems and voting procedures.

Problems with voting: Florida HAVA Complaint Form (Spanish) or report any election fraud you are aware of.