Florida voters have one last chance, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., to decide whether they want to keep the state on its Republican red path or register discontent with Tallahassee and Washington.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, is midterm Election Day, the final opportunity for people who haven’t voted by mail or during in-person early voting.
High confidence
Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link and Broward Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott both said people can be confident their votes will be accurately recorded, and the candidates with the most votes will be declared the winners.
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being supreme confidence, both gave 10s.
“On that scale, my confidence is a 10. That confidence is grounded in the safeguards built into our election process, including paper ballots, pre-election testing and public oversight. Our responsibility is to accurately count every eligible vote,” Scott said via email.
“All Palm Beach County voters can be confident that elections are conducted fairly, securely, and transparently,” Link said via email. The elections process “multiple layers of security, testing, and auditing. Voting equipment is tested before every election, ballots are tracked and accounted for throughout the process, and election results are subject to rigorous review and reconciliation procedures.”
Link advised people to be cautious about claims, especially those that get posted on social media, some of which come from foreign countries attempting to spread misinformation. “They make claims that something happened to ‘them’ when such an event never occurred, which is intended to create doubt or concern about the security or integrity of our elections,” Link said.
Scott said voters should verify election information with the official office and report any concerns.
The supervisors’ biggest worry is voter turnout. “Participation can be unpredictable. Voting is a right, and every voter’s voice matters. I hope to see record turnout and encourage every eligible voter to participate,” Scott said.
Link, too, said at a news conference that voting is what matters. “We’ve been proud of our participation. But we need more. The more who are voting, whoever it is that you’re voting for, we’re going to have a better democracy.”
Voter guide
When to vote: Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Lines are usually the longest from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. If the line is long, do not go to another location. Neighborhood voting in your assigned precinct is the only option on Election Day.
Anyone who is in line by the 7 p.m. closing time is allowed to vote.
Where to vote: Broward has 346 precincts voting at 281 polling places. Palm Beach County has 814 precincts and 365 polling places. (Some polling places include more than one precinct.)
People must vote in their assigned polling place on Election Day. Dozens of locations have changed since the 2024 presidential election.
The correct polling place is shown on the most recent voter information card mailed to voters (a card people often refer to as a “voter registration card”). The Broward and Palm Beach county supervisors of elections offices both have polling place locators on their websites.
Identification: Voters need current, valid photo identification that includes a signature.
Besides a state-issued driver’s license or ID card, other accepted forms include passports, military, student, retirement or public assistance identification. If the photo ID does not contain the voter’s signature, another piece of identification with a signature is required.
The voter information card, which many people call a voter registration card, isn’t needed, and isn’t accepted as a form of identification at a polling place.
Make it faster: The ballots are long. There are proposed state constitutional amendments, referendums in Broward and Palm Beach counties, and ballot questions in multiple cities.
You can also make things go faster by knowing how you’re going to vote. You’re allowed to bring a marked sample ballot, palm card, or other information into the polling place to help you remember your choices.
People can view and print sample ballots online that include the questions and also all the races with candidates.
Marking the ballot: To make sure your vote counts, mark the ballot exactly the way the instructions specify.
If you make a mistake, or make a stray mark, you can ask for a replacement ballot. Once you turn in your paper ballot and it goes into the scanner, it’s too late to make any changes.
Mail ballots
If you had planned to vote by mail, but haven’t returned your ballot, there are two options.
Mail ballots can be turned in at drop boxes at the headquarters and branch offices of the county supervisors of elections.
It’s too late to return a mail ballot via the mail. They’re due at each county’s Supervisor of Elections Office headquarters by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks don’t count.
Mail ballots cannot be dropped off at polling places on Election Day.
But it’s still possible to vote in person at a neighborhood polling place. The system works faster for voters if people changing their minds bring the mail ballot to the precinct, where it can be canceled, but it’s not required. Someone who requested but didn’t receive a mail ballot can also vote at a precinct.
If someone has sent back a completed mail ballot but the supervisor of elections office website shows the office has not received it, they may vote in person.
Broward County Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott and Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory at encourage voter participation in the 2026 general election at a news conference in Fort Lauderdale in September. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Can you wear that?
People can wear what they want to the polls, including a campaign hat, shirt or button showing support for a candidate — as long as they’re there to vote.
That doesn’t count as illegal electioneering at the polls. People are not allowed to campaign, or attempt to sway other voters, while they’re within the 150-foot no-campaigning zones around the entrance to the polling place.
Potential complications
If you’ve moved, you can still vote. That includes people whose homes have been foreclosed on. People need to update their addresses, something that can be done on Election Day. It can legally be processed at polling places, though it can take time.
If a voter shows up at an early voting site or a precinct on Election Day and is told there is no record of the voter or something else is wrong, both counties’ elections office representatives said people are allowed to vote using a provisional ballot.
Lisa Lee Arneaud, public information officer at the Broward Supervisor of Elections Office, recommended asking for a poll clerk to see if the issue can be resolved. If the issue cannot be resolved on site, the voter is offered a provisional ballot, which is processed if the issue is resolved with the supervisor of elections office or the county elections Canvassing Board.
If additional documentation is required, the voter has until 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5 — two days after Election Day — to submit it to the elections office, said Alison Novoa, public information officer and director of strategic initiatives at the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office. “Provisional ballots are then presented to the Canvassing Board, which makes the final determination on whether the ballot can be counted.”
Information
People can check to see if they’re registered to vote, check the status of their mail ballots, and find the locations of county elections offices and polling places online and by phone.
Broward County: browardvotes.gov, 954-357-8683. Phones will be answered from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Palm Beach County: votepalmbeach.gov, 561-656-6200. Phones will be answered from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Election protection: Multiple public interest groups, including the League of Women Voters of Florida, Common Cause and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, operate an “election protection hotline” for people with questions or concerns. Call or text 866-687-8683.