Everything you need to participate in the Aug. 18 election

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Voting by mail is a convenient way to cast your ballot if you prefer to vote from home.

If you are a registered voter in Miami-Dade County, you can request a Vote-by-Mail ballot online, by phone, by email, by fax, or by mail.

If you want your ballot mailed to an address that is different from the one listed on your voter registration record, you must submit a written request using the Statewide Vote-by-Mail Ballot Request Form. The request must include the voter's signature unless the voter is:

* An absent uniformed services voter

* An overseas voter

* Using an authorized designee to make the request

You can request your Vote-by-Mail ballot online here:  https://miamidade.electionsfl.org/vrservices/mbrs#

Vote-by-Mail ballot requests must be received by the Miami-Dade Elections Department no later than 5:00 p.m. on August 6, 2026.

Please note:

* Your request must be received by the deadline.

* A postmark date does not qualify as timely receipt.

* Requests received after 5:00 p.m. on the deadline cannot be processed.

Most voters request their own Vote-by-Mail ballot, but Florida law also allows certain individuals to make the request on a voter's behalf.

A Vote-by-Mail ballot may be requested by:

• The voter
• The voter's spouse
• A parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, brother, or sister of the voter
• A parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, brother, or sister of the voter's spouse
• The voter's legal guardian
• A designated representative acting for a voter with a disability

When a ballot request is submitted by someone other than the voter, additional information is required, including:

• The requestor's address
• The requestor's Florida driver license number, Florida identification card number, or, if available, the last four digits of the requestor's Social Security number
• The requestor's relationship to the voter
• The requestor's signature if the request is submitted in writing
• Written Requests

Written Vote-by-Mail ballot requests must be submitted using the official Florida Vote-by-Mail Ballot Request Form as required by state law.

Voters may pick up their own Vote-by-Mail ballot from the Supervisor of Elections office after ballots have been issued and mailed to voters who previously requested one. This option remains available through Election Day.

Yes. A voter may authorize another person to pick up a Vote-by-Mail ballot on their behalf.

Florida law limits how many ballots a person may pick up for others. In most cases, a designee may pick up ballots for no more than two voters per election, excluding their own ballot and ballots for eligible immediate family members.

Anyone picking up a ballot for another voter must complete and submit the required authorization and affidavit forms provided by the Supervisor of Elections. These forms verify the voter's permission and the designee's eligibility to receive the ballot.

After completing your ballot, be sure to return it as early as possible. Your ballot must be received by election officials on time in order to be counted.

Option 1: Return by Mail

You may return your completed ballot through the United States Postal Service.

**Important:** Your ballot must be received by the Miami-Dade Elections Department no later than **7:00 p.m. on Election Day**. A postmark alone is not sufficient.

Option 2: Return at an Early Voting Location

During the Early Voting period, you may drop off your completed Vote-by-Mail ballot at any Early Voting site using a Secure Ballot Intake Station (Vote-by-Mail Drop Box).

Option 3: Return in Person

You may deliver your completed ballot in person before 7:00 p.m. on Election Day to either of the following locations:

Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Headquarters

2700 NW 87th Avenue

Miami, FL 33172

Supervisor of Elections Branch Office

Stephen P. Clark Center

111 NW 1st Street, Lobby

Miami, FL 33128

Option 4: Return Through a Designee

A voter may authorize another person (a designee) to return a Vote-by-Mail ballot on their behalf.

Under Florida law, a designee may return no more than two ballots per election, excluding their own ballot. Additional ballots may be returned if they belong to the designee's spouse or the spouse's or designee's:

* Parent

* Child

* Grandparent

* Grandchild

* Sibling

Is Postage Required?

For countywide elections, return postage is prepaid and no stamp is required.

For some municipal elections that are not conducted as part of a countywide election, prepaid postage may not be provided. Voters should check with election officials if they are unsure.

No. Florida law does not allow Vote-by-Mail ballots to be dropped off at your Election Day polling place.

If you still have your Vote-by-Mail ballot on Election Day, you may:

* Deliver it to the Supervisor of Elections Office before 7:00 p.m., or

* Choose to vote in person at your assigned polling place if election officials confirm that your Vote-by-Mail ballot has not already been received.

If you plan to vote in person, bring your Vote-by-Mail ballot with you whenever possible.

You can track the status of your ballot online and see:

* Whether you have a Vote-by-Mail request on file

* When your ballot was mailed to you

* When your ballot was received by the Elections Department

* Whether your ballot was counted

* Whether there is a signature issue that needs to be corrected

* Instructions and forms needed to cure a signature deficiency

Tracking your ballot is one of the best ways to ensure your vote is counted.

Track your vote-by-mail ballot by clicking here

If a voter or authorized designee requests to pick up or have a Vote-by-Mail ballot delivered beginning with the mandatory early voting period and continuing through Election Day, additional requirements apply.

The voter must complete a special affidavit stating that an emergency situation prevents them from voting during early voting or at their assigned polling place on Election Day.

If you think you may need a Vote-by-Mail ballot, request it as early as possible. Waiting until the final days before the election may require additional paperwork and could delay the voting process.

If your Vote-by-Mail ballot is lost, damaged, destroyed, or never arrives, you may request a replacement ballot from the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections.

Common reasons voters request a replacement ballot include:

* The ballot was lost or misplaced.

* The ballot never arrived in the mail.

* The ballot arrived too late to be returned by mail.

* The ballot or return envelope was damaged.

* The ballot became wet, stained, torn, or otherwise unusable.

* The return envelope sealed accidentally before the ballot could be completed.

If any of these situations apply to you, contact the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections as soon as possible for assistance.

 Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections

Alina Garcia, Supervisor of Elections

2700 NW 87th Avenue

Miami, FL 33172

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 521550

Miami, FL 33152-1550

Phone: (305) 499-8683

Fax: (305) 499-8501

Email: [soedade@miamidade.gov](soedade@miamidade.gov)