Municipal elections are happening across Florida this spring, offering important chances for many of Florida’s 14.3 million registered voters to have a say in the future of their towns, cities and communities. 

Among the municipal and local elections being held in March are: 

• Tuesday, March 7 – Tampa municipal elections
• Tuesday, March 14 – Numerous municipal elections in Broward, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinealleas, Sarasota counties
• Tuesday, March 21 – Jacksonville/Duval County local elections 

A full list of scheduled local elections is available aquí. However, voters should check with their Supervisor de Elecciones del condado for up-to-date information on the elections occurring in their area.

Voters who typically cast their ballots by mail need to take additional steps after anti-voter legislation canceled standing vote-by-mail requests for every Florida voter after the November 2022 election. 

The changes to this popular method of voting – one in three Florida voters cast a mail ballot in the last election – will disproportionately affect Black, Hispanic, disabled, rural and older voters. But voters can submit a new vote-by-mail request through their county supervisor of elections now, and have ballots automatically sent to them for all elections through the end of 2024, said Amy Keith, directora del programa Common Cause Florida. 

“We need to keep Florida voting and that means making sure you have a plan for how to vote in these upcoming municipal elections,” Keith said. “If you prefer to vote by mail, take a few minutes to renew your request and pass the word on to your family and friends about this recent change to our election laws. We need to make sure all our voices are heard, in each and every election, to be a government that truly is of, by and for the people.”  

Voter Information for 2023 Municipal Elections

There are three different ways that registered Florida voters can vote: by mail, in-person at early voting sites in their county, or in-person at their assigned polling location on Election Day. However, it is important to note that early voting is not offered for some municipal elections. 

Voters who have any questions about the voting process or encounter problems can contact the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE. The hotline will be staffed live on March 7, March 14 and March 21, with trained volunteers available to support.

Voters who choose to vote by mail debe:

•  Request a vote-by-mail ballot through their county Oficina del Supervisor de Elecciones. Note that all Florida voters who want to vote by mail must renew their vote-by-mail request this year, a change from past elections. 

•  Sign the back of the ballot return envelope.
•  Make sure the ballot is received by their county election office by 7 p.m. on Election Day (postmark date is not enough).

Voters can track their mail ballot online to make sure it was received OK. If there is a problem with the voter’s signature on their vote-by-mail ballot, the voter has until 5 p.m. on the second day after Election Day to submit the paperwork to correct their signature. 

Note: Common Cause Florida recommends mailing in ballots at least 10 days in advance or dropping signed ballots off in Secure Ballot Intake Stations available at county elections offices and early voting sites during hours of operation.  

La gente también puede votar anticipadamente en persona en los sitios de votación anticipada del condado.

• Not every municipality will be offering early voting hours for these local elections.  Voters can look up early voting locations, dates and times through their county elections office aquí.
• Los votantes pueden utilizar cualquier sitio de votación anticipada en su condado para votar en persona o dejar sus boletas por correo en las estaciones de recepción segura de boletas.
• Debe presentar una identificación válida con fotografía y firma para votar en persona en Florida durante la votación anticipada o el día de las elecciones. Hay 12 formas de identificación aceptables, y la lista está disponible aquí.

Aquellos que quieran vote in-person on Election Day must:

• Traiga una identificación con fotografía y firma válida (no vencida).
• Votar en el distrito electoral correspondiente a su residencia actual. Los votantes pueden buscar sus distritos electorales aquí. In some cases, Election Day polling locations may be different for municipal elections. Voters are advised to pay attention to any notices provided by their county Supervisor of Elections or call their Supervisor of Elections if they have questions.
• Llegar a las urnas durante el horario de votación. Las urnas están abiertas de 7:00 a 19:00 horas.
• Cualquier votante que se encuentre en fila para votar a las 7 p. m. debe poder votar.