Voting by mail in Miami-Dade? You'll need to renew your request. Here's how

If you’re planning to vote by mail in Miami-Dade County elections, you’ll have to renew your request for a vote-by-mail ballot and should do so as soon as possible. 

Due to changes in Florida law, all requests for a vote-by-mail ballot in the county–approximately 438,000 of them–expired on Jan. 1, 2023. All Florida residents will need to submit a new request, and the Miami-Dade County Elections Department wants to get the word out about your options, deadlines and how seriously they take your safety. 

This election year, Miami-Dade voters will decide on new constitutional offices, like the sheriff and supervisor of elections, amendments on abortion rights and legalizing marijuana, and of course, the race for U.S. president. 

“This is a big election year–not one that Miami-Dade voters should sit out,” Christina White, the supervisor of elections in Miami-Dade, said.

Here’s what you need to know. And if you live in Broward County, we've got you covered, too.

Who does this apply to?

Every Florida resident who requested a vote-by-mail ballot before Jan. 1, 2023 will need to request a new one.  

How can I request a vote-by-mail ballot?

If you are registered to vote in Miami-Dade County:

The easiest way to request a vote-by-mail ballot is online or by calling the elections department. To call, dial 311. A representative will then process your request for a vote-by-mail ballot for you. You will need the last four digits of your social security number or your driver’s license number. 

You may also request a ballot by mail, fax or email. Fill out this form and send it via email as an attachment to votebymail@miamidade.gov or by fax to 305-499-8401. You can also print the form and mail it to Miami-Dade Elections Department 2700 NW 87th Avenue, Miami, FL 33172 or drop it off there, in person.  

If you are not registered to vote or would like to change your party affiliation, you can do so online here: https://registertovoteflorida.gov/home. 

For more information on registering to vote, visit the county’s election department. 

What are the deadlines?

To request a vote-by-mail ballot: 

All requests must be received by 5 p.m. on the 12th day before the election. So to vote in the primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 20, the deadline to request your ballot is Aug. 8. 

If you only want to request a vote-by-mail ballot for the presidential election on Tuesday, Nov. 5, the deadline is Oct. 24. 

To return your vote-by-mail ballot: 

If you want to mail your voted ballot via the United States Postal Service (USPS), it must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots should be mailed to:

Supervisor of Elections
P.O. Box 521650
Miami, Florida 33152

According to the Florida Division of Elections, USPS "recommends that domestic nonmilitary voters mail back their voted ballots at least one (1) week before the Election Day deadline to account for any unforeseen events or weather issues."

Keep reading for other ways to return your vote-by-mail ballot.

To register to vote:

The deadline to register to vote before the primary election is July 22. The deadline to register to vote before the general election is Oct. 7.

Will I need to renew my vote-by-mail ballot request for the presidential election?

It depends. If you request a vote-by-mail ballot, you will have the option to select if you’d like to receive it only for a specific election or for all elections in which you are eligible to vote through the end of the calendar year of the next regularly scheduled General Election. 

How can I return my vote-by-mail ballot once I've voted?

You have a few options. You can, of course, send it by mail to the following address:

Supervisor of Elections
P.O. Box 521650
Miami, Florida 33152

Or, you can drop it off in person:

• at any early voting location during the hours of operation via a secure ballot intake station.
• during business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at the Miami-Dade Elections Department at 2700 NW 87th Avenue, Miami, FL 33172 or, for countywide elections only, at Stephen P. Clark Center Voter Information Center (VIC) at 111 NW 1st Street, Lobby, Miami, FL 33128.

If you need someone else to drop your ballot off for you, go here to learn more about how to make them an authorized designee.

Vote-by-mail ballots cannot be returned on Election Day at your local precinct.

"If a voter waits until Election Day to submit their ballot, they can either drop it off at the Elections Department or they can opt to vote in person at their precinct once the election board confirms the voter’s Vote-by-Mail ballot has not been
received," the Miami-Dade County Elections Department states.

And don't forget, you can always track the status of your ballot here.

Is voting by mail safe?

Christina White, the supervisor of elections in Miami-Dade, stresses that voting by mail is a very safe option.

“There are multiple safeguards in place,” she said. 

First, ballots are not mailed to everyone. They have to be requested with personal information to ensure they’ve been requested legitimately. 

“When we mail you your ballot, you can track everything online,” White said. “You know exactly when we’ve mailed it to you, when we’ve received it, whether it was accepted or not. And on the return we have staff members that have been trained by a forensic signature expert looking at signatures on each and every ballot. That’s how we know that it is you that returned your ballot.”

Though unlikely, in the event that the signatures do not match, the ballot will not be accepted and you will be notified by mail.