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The voter\u2019s mail-in ballot drop-off box at Kendall Branch Library at 9101 SW 97th Ave., seen here on Oct. 22, 2020, had drive-through and walk-up lanes during early voting days.<\/p>\n
Howard Cohen<\/p>\n
hcohen@miamiherald.com<\/p>\n
The November midterm elections are fast approaching. Are you ready to vote?<\/p>\n
One way to vote is with a mail ballot, which allows you to fill out your choices remotely, skipping Miami traffic and possible lines at polling locations.<\/p>\n
Just make sure you request one by the deadline, fill it out correctly and then return it on time.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what to know about mail-in ballots in South Florida:<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the deadline to get a vote-by-mail ballot?<\/p>\n
Your request for a mail ballot must be received by your county\u2019s election department by 5 p.m. Oct. 22. That\u2019s the traditional deadline of 12 days before the election<\/a> set by Florida to allow for processing and delivering your ballot.<\/p>\n If you received a mail-in ballot for the August election, you should also receive one for the November election. But you must submit a new request in 2027 for future mail-in ballots.<\/p>\n How can I get a mail ballot?<\/p>\n MIAMI-DADE COUNTY<\/a>: The Miami-Dade Elections Department offers several ways to request a vote-by-mail ballot. The fastest way is to request one online or call.<\/p>\n BROWARD COUNTY<\/a>: The process to request a ballot in Broward is similar.<\/p>\n Online: Broward has an online portal to request<\/a> a vote-by-mail ballot.Phone:. Call 954-357-8683.Email: votebymailrequest@browardvotes.gov.<\/p>\n MONROE COUNTY:<\/a> The Florida Keys elections office offers an online portal at www.keyselections.org<\/a> to help you receive a mail-in ballot and answers other voting questions.<\/p>\n Phone: 305-292-3416.Email: info@votemonroeflkeys.govWhat about Trump\u2019s Executive Order?<\/p>\n In March, President Donald Trump issued an executive order<\/a> that could change who can receive a mail-in ballot ahead of November\u2019s midterms. His order would require the Department of Homeland Security to compile state lists of eligible voters. The order would also make state election officials send lists of eligible voters to the Postal Service before the election.<\/p>\n A federal judge temporarily blocked the order on Aug. 27. Shortly after, Florida elections officials said people should be able to vote as usual in November.<\/p>\n Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia posted a statement to Facebook.<\/p>\n \u201cYou may have heard about recent lawsuit challenging an Executive Order regarding the U.S. Postal Service delivery of vote-by-mail ballots and a related USPS rule-making. While the U.S. Supreme Court has recently stayed an injunction by a trial court, the Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the legality of the President\u2019s Executive Order or the USPS rule. Additionally, other similar injunctions related to the USPS rule remain in effect,\u201d Garcia\u2019s post read. \u201cAs such, there is no impact on the duties or operations of the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections at this time. Our office remains focused on ensuring secure, accurate, transparent and accessible elections.\u201d<\/p>\n Last August, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he didn\u2019t think Trump\u2019s move to ban voting by mail applied to Florida<\/a>. \u201cWhat he means by vote by mail, I think, just in my conversations, is the states like California and Nevada and others, where they just send all these ballots out into the ether,\u201d DeSantis said during a news conference.<\/p>\n Florida voters have to request a mail-in ballot.<\/p>\n What will you need to request a mail-in ballot?<\/p>\n To request a mail ballot, you will need one of three identifiers to register for a ballot: a driver\u2019s license number, state-issued ID number or the last four digits of your Social Security number.<\/p>\n What are some tips when filling out my ballot?<\/p>\n A vote-by-mail ballot comes with instructions on how to correctly fill it out and mail it back to the Supervisor of Elections office.<\/p>\n Here are some key tips given by the Miami-Dade and the Broward elections departments:<\/p>\n Complete and return the vote-by-mail ballot as soon as possible. Your ballot will come with a pre-printed envelope marked with the Supervisor of Election office\u2019s address. Don\u2019t risk missing the deadline for it to arrive at the election office: 7 p.m. Election Day.Mark your ballot in secret.Use a black or blue ballpoint pen to complete your ballot.Sign your name inside the red signature box on the back of the Voter\u2019s Certificate envelope. If you don\u2019t, your vote might not count.Florida law doesn\u2019t require a witness to complete a ballot certificate.What if you make a mistake on my ballot?<\/p>\n If you make a mistake or if you never receive your mail-in ballot, you should contact your county\u2019s Supervisor of Elections office for a replacement.<\/p>\n You can only receive up to two replacement ballots before your vote is cast. Once the ballot has been mailed to the election\u2019s office, dropped off at an early voting location, or entered into the scanning machine, you can\u2019t get a replacement.<\/p>\n Tracking your ballot<\/p>\n You can track the status of your ballot using the online portals in each county.<\/p>\n What is the deadline for returning a ballot?<\/p>\n The vote-by-mail ballot must be received by your local elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t drop off your ballot off at your designated voting precinct on Election Day. If you take your ballot to your precinct on Election Day, workers will cancel it and allow you to vote at the location.<\/p>\n If you wait until Election Day to return the ballot, it can only be submitted at your county\u2019s elections office.<\/p>\n Miami-Dade: If you return your ballot by mail using the return envelope included, the Elections Department must receive the ballot before 7 p.m. on Election Day. The ballot can also be turned in at any early voting location during operating hours \u2014 there are drop boxes so you don\u2019t have to stand in line \u2014 or dropped off at the Miami-Dade Elections Department, 2700 NW 87th Ave. in Doral, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n Broward: To return your ballot by mail in Broward County, use the return envelope included. The Elections Department must also receive the ballot before 7 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots can also be turned in to early voting locations and to the Broward County Supervisor of Elections, at 4650 NW 21st Ave. in Fort Lauderdale.<\/p>\n Monroe: To return your ballot in person on Election Day, go to the Supervisor of Elections office at 5200 College Rd in Key West.<\/p>\n Overseas and military voters<\/p>\n Overseas and military voters can register and request a mail ballot using a Federal Post Card Application<\/a>. Military members can also register using Florida\u2019s online portal.<\/a><\/p>\n Ballots returned by fax must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day, and those returned by mail can still be counted up to ten days after the election, as long as they are postmarked no later than Election Day.<\/p>\n This story was originally published September 2, 2026 at 12:24 PM.<\/p>\n Howard Cohen<\/a><\/p>\n Miami Herald<\/p>\n Miami Herald consumer trends reporter Howard Cohen, a 2017 Media Excellence Awards winner, has covered pop music, theater, health and fitness, obituaries, municipal government, breaking news and general assignment. He started his career in the Features department at the Miami Herald in 1991. Cohen is an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Communication.
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