Frequently Asked Questions

 

Questions have been sorted by category, to jump to a specific category click on your area of interest below.

How do I get a sample ballot for the primary or general election?

Sample ballots will be mailed to each registered voter before the start of Early Voting. However, voters who request a vote-by-mail ballot will not receive a sample ballot. Find your sample ballot for a current election.


I moved here from another county in Florida. Can I transfer my voter registration from that county to Lake County?

How will I know if my application was processed?

  • If you are qualified as a voter, a voter information card will be mailed to you.
  • If your application was incomplete, you will be notified of the corrective action that needs to be taken.

If I register with no party affiliation, can I choose a Democrat or Republican ballot in the Primary Election?

  • No, Florida is a closed-primary state.
  • Only voters who are registered members of the two major political parties (Republicans/Democrats) may vote for their respective party's candidates. However, the Florida Constitution provides that if all candidates have the same party affiliation and the winner will have no opposition in the general election, all qualified voters, regardless of party affiliation, may vote in the primary election for that office. This is known as a Universal Primary Contest.
  • All registered voters are entitled to vote on non partisan Judicial and school board offices, as well as local referendum questions. 

How do I make a changes to my voter registration record?

By updating a Voter Registration Application you may change:

  • Residential or mailing addresses
  • Name changes
  • Party affiliations
  • Signature updates

Voter Registration Applications can be found at:

How may I request to remove my voter registration record from Lake County voter registration records?

Use the Elector's Request for Disqualification Form (PDF) to process this request.

Can I register to vote if I have been convicted of a felony?

  • Yes, Amendment 4 restores the voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions after they complete all terms of their sentence including parole or probation. All fines, fees, and restitution must be paid before a person with a felony conviction may register to vote.
  •  The amendment does not apply to those convicted of murder or sexual offenses, who continue to be permanently barred from voting unless the Governor's Clemency Review Board vote to restore their voting rights on a case by case basis.

Can I register here if I live here part of the year and another state part of the year?

  • Yes. However, you must determine which place you want to be your legal residence.
  • You cannot be registered in two places at once.

Are Voter Registration Records Public Record?

  • Yes. In Florida, voter registration records are open to the public and may be examined, but not duplicated or sold commercially by anyone.
  • Only government agencies, candidates, registered political committees, registered political committees of continuous existence, political parties, and incumbent officeholders may request voter registration information in a list format.
  • No person who acquires such a list, shall use any information contained therein for purposes, which are not related to elections, political or governmental activities, voter registration, or law enforcement. (section 98.095 Florida Statutes)

When may a voter request a Vote-By-Mail ballot?

  • Vote-By-Mail ballot requests can be made to the elections office up to 5pm on the 12th day before an election. 
  • Vote-By-Mail requests do expire and must be renewed every 2 years.

How may a voter request a Vote-By-Mail ballot?

Voters can request a vote-by-mail ballot by one of the following methods:

  • Complete an Online Request
  • Print and complete a 2023 Mail Ballot Request Form
  • Call (352-343-9734), email ([email protected]), or fax (352-253-1422) the following voter information:
  • Voter's name
  • Voter's address
  • Voter's date of birth
  • Voter's Florida drivers license number or Florida ID card number, or the last 4 digits of the voter's social security number 

May a person other than the voter request a Vote-By-Mail ballot?

Only the voter, a member of the voter's immediate family, or the legal guardian may request a Vote-By-Mail ballot. A designee requesting a Vote-By-Mail ballot on behalf of another must provide the voter's name, address, driver's license or Florida ID card number, or the last four digits of the voter's Social Security number, whichever may be verified in the voter's record. Additionally, the designee must provide the same identifying information for themselves as well as their relationship to the voter. The requestor's signature is also required for a written request only.

Will a Vote-By-Mail ballot be counted if it is mailed on election day?

A Vote-By-Mail ballot can be counted ONLY if it is received in the Supervisor's office by 7:00 p.m. election day.

Can I bring my Vote-By-Mail ballot to my precinct on election day?

If you do, you will be required to turn in that ballot and then you will be issued an election day ballot that you can complete and cast at your precinct.

What if I request a ballot, but don't mail it in?

You can drop off your Vote-by-Mail ballot at any early voting site during the Early Voting period.

On Election Day, you can turn in your Vote-by-Mail ballot at the main elections office in Tavares located at 1898 E. Burleigh Blvd. by 7:00 p.m.


What hours are the polls open on Election Day?

7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

What is a provisional ballot?

At all elections, a voter claiming to be properly registered in the county and eligible to vote at the precinct in the election, but whose eligibility cannot be determined, shall be entitled to cast a provisional ballot.

Voters casting a provisional ballot will be required to insert their ballot into a designated envelope and sign the certificate on the envelope and return it to the clerk at the polling place. Provisional ballots are not deposited into the tabulating machines at the polling place.

Once eligibility has been confirmed by the county canvassing board, the provisional ballot will be tabulated.

I work next door to a polling place. Can I vote there or do I have to vote at the precinct near my home?

Florida law states that on Election Day you must vote in the precinct in which you live.


I am in the military. Where is my "legal voting residence"?

For voting purposes, your "legal voting residence" can be the state or territory where you last resided prior to entering military service or the state or territory that you have since claimed as your legal residence. To claim a new legal residence you must have simultaneous physical presence and the intent to return to that location as your primary residence. Military and family members may change their legal residence every time they change permanent duty stations or they may retain their legal residence without change. Family members may have a different legal voting residence from the member. A legal officer should be consulted before legal residence is changed because there are usually other factors that should be considered besides voting. Be sure to enter the complete address of your legal voting residence, including street or rural route and number, when completing the residence section of the FPCA (PDF). Even though you may no longer maintain formal ties such as property ownership to that residence, the address is needed to place you in a proper voting district, ward, precinct or parish.

Military personnel may apply for voter registration or request Vote-By-Mail ballots with a Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) (PDF) which may be obtained from the Unit Voting Officer or the Service or State Department Voting Action Officer. Refer to Federal Voting Assistance Program website for further form instructions.

Federal portions of general election and presidential preference primary ballots voted by persons outside the U.S. are counted if postmarked no later than election day and received within 10 days of the election.

Additional military election information is available from:

Director of Federal Voting Assistance Program
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Washington Headquarters Services
1155 Defense Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20301-1155

FVAP Fax: 703-588-0108
Email: [email protected]
Toll-free: 800-438-8683

I am in the military. Can I vote in person where I am stationed?

Military members may vote in the state or territory where stationed if they change their legal residence to that state or territory, even if they live on a military installation. Be advised that there are legal obligations that may be incurred, such as taxation, if you change your state or territory of residence. Therefore, consult a legal officer before making such a decision. At the present time, there are no provisions for personnel stationed outside the United States to vote, in person, where stationed.

I am in the military. However, my family members are not in the military; can they also vote by mail?

The law entitles eligible family members of military personnel to vote by mail. Family members are considered to be in the same category of vote-by-mail voter as military members and generally should follow the same procedures. Family members of military personnel residing overseas, who are U.S. citizens and who have never resided in the U.S., usually claim a U.S. citizen parent's legal state of residence as their own.

I am an overseas citizen. If I do not maintain a legal residence in the U.S., what is my "legal state of residence?

Your "legal state of residence" for voting purposes is the state or territory where you last resided immediately prior to your departure from the United States . This right extends to overseas citizens even though they may not have property or other ties in their last state or territory of residence, and their intent to return to that state or territory may be uncertain. When completing the FPCA's (PDF) Voting Residence section, be sure to enter the entire mailing address of your last residence, including street or rural route and number. This information is necessary to place you in the proper voting district, ward, precinct or parish. Family members of citizens residing overseas, who are U.S. citizens and who have never resided in the U.S., usually, if the state allows, claim one of their U.S. citizen parent's legal state or territory of residence as their own. Check Chapter 3 of the Guide.


How are candidates listed on the ballot?

In a primary election, candidates are listed alphabetically (except for circuit court judges who are determined by lot conducted by the State Director of the Division of Elections.) In a general election, the names of the candidates of the party that received the highest number of votes for Governor in the last election shall be placed first under the heading for each office; then, the names of the candidates of the party that received the second highest vote for Governor shall be second. Minor political party candidates and candidates with no party affiliation shall have their names appear on the general election ballot following the names of recognized political parties, in the same order as they were certified. - Florida Statutes 101.151(3)(a)(b) 

How much money can I donate to a candidate?

Up to $1,000 per election. This amount includes in-kind contributions.

What is an in-kind contribution?

An in-kind contribution is anything of value made for the purpose of influencing the results of an election.

Giving lumber to a candidate to build signs for his or her campaign or providing office space at no charge or a lesser charge.

Can a candidate accept a cash contribution?

A candidate may not accept contributions in cash or by means of a cashier's check in excess of $50.

Are candidates' contributions and expenditures public record?

Yes.

 

 

 

CALL US:

352-343-9734 |

FAX:

352-343-3605 |

EMAIL:

Contact Us



OFFICE LOCATION:

1898 E. Burleigh Blvd., Tavares, FL, 32778 | Monday - Friday: 8 AM - 5 PM



MAILING ADDRESS:

P/O. Box 457, Tavares, FL 32778

Copyright © Lake County Supervisor of Elections. All Rights Reserved.



Privacy Policy & Disclaimer