Our Mission: Ensure the integrity of the Electoral Process Our Mission: Ensure the integrity of the Electoral Process

WHAT IS A PROVISIONAL BALLOT?

A provisional ballot is a voting method for a voter whose eligibility is in question or if their voting or registration status cannot be verified at their polling site. Provisional ballots help protect against voter fraud and are governed by state law (see Florida Statute 101.048 for more information).

Voters who vote a provisional ballot do not scan their ballots into the vote tabulation equipment. Instead, provisional ballots are securely delivered to the Supervisor of Elections office for further processing. Voters who vote provisionally will receive a Notice of Rights notifying them how they can proceed with providing written evidence supporting their eligibility to vote and also how they can find out if their ballot was counted.

 

WHY WOULD SOMEONE VOTE A PROVISIONAL BALLOT?

One of the most common reasons voters must vote a provisional ballot is not providing proper identification at the polls. Other reasons may include voters who registered after the voter registration deadline for that particular election or voters who are not registered to vote in the state of Florida.

Only voters registered in Florida are permitted to vote in Florida.

 

HOW ARE PROVISIONAL BALLOTS COUNTED?

All provisional ballots cast are reviewed for eligibility. The secrecy of votes cast is protected during the canvassing board’s review of provisional ballots and only legal requirements for voting are examined.

The legal standard used by the canvassing board to review provisional ballots is as follows:

If it is determined that the person was registered and entitled to vote at the precinct where the person cast a vote in the election, the canvassing board shall compare the signature on the Provisional Ballot Voter’s Certificate and Affirmation with the signature on the voter’s registration and, if it matches, shall count the ballot (Florida Statute 101.048(2)).

Voters who forget their ID do not need to provide evidence of their eligibility to the canvassing board, as the signature on the affirmation they sign at the polls will be compared to their signature on record with the Supervisor of Elections office.

Voters who vote provisional for other reasons (for example, eligibility is challenged by another person, in the wrong precinct when voting, do not appear on the precinct register, etc.), should provide evidence to the canvassing board no later than 5 p.m. two days after the election to support the validity of the provisional ballot.

Within 30 days of Election Day the Supervisor of Elections office will notify all persons who voted via provisional ballot the status of their vote.

 

OFFICE

Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building
3750 Enterprise Avenue, Naples, FL 34104
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CONTACT

PHONE: (239) 252-8683 ● FAX: (239) 774-9468
EMAIL: Supervisor.Elections@CollierVotes.gov
HOURS: M-F 8:00am - 5:00pm

Under Florida law F.S. 668.6076, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. Please submit public records requests via our public records request portal by clicking here.

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