Are photo IDs required to vote in Florida? What to know before you go

Election Day in Florida is Tuesday, Nov. 5, just weeks away, and early voting begins Monday, Oct. 21 in most counties.

If you’re voting in person, either early or on Election Day, here’s what you’ll need to bring.

What do I need to bring with me to vote? Do I need an ID to vote in Florida?

Florida requires you to produce a current and valid photo ID with a signature before you can cast a vote. Any of the following are acceptable:

• Florida driver’s license
• Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• United States passport
• Debit or credit card
• Military identification
• Student identification
• Retirement center identification
• Neighborhood association identification
• Public assistance identification
• Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
• License to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued in accordance with Florida law
• Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality

If your ID does not include a signature, you will be required to provide another one that does or vote a provisional ballot.

Check your voter registration: Am I registered to vote in Florida? Is it too late to register or make changes?

Can I vote without an ID in Florida? What is a provisional ballot?

Yes. You’ll be allowed to vote a provisional ballot.

A provisional ballot is used when a voter cannot prove they are eligible. Common reasons are lack of a photo ID with a signature, a challenge of your eligibility by another person, a vote cast in the wrong precinct or your name missing on the precinct register.

If the problem is just that you don’t have proper ID but your signature matches what’s on file, you’re good and the vote will be counted.

If your signature doesn’t match or is missing, the Supervisor of Elections will attempt to contact you to “cure” your ballot. In that case, or if you voted a provisional ballot for any other reason, you will need to submit a Provisional Ballot Cure Affidavit (DS-DE 210) to the Supervisor of Elections Office, along with whatever documentation is needed to prove your eligibility, no later than 5 p.m. on the second day after the election. Your county’s elections website will have the forms available for download or you can download them here (English PDF / Español PDF).

When you vote a provisional ballot you’ll be given a written notice of rights explaining how to address the problem and check on its status.