The Division of Elections provides administrative support to the Secretary of State, Florida's Chief Election Officer, to ensure that Florida has fair and accurate elections. The division is responsible for uniform interpretation and implementation of Florida's election laws and for promoting public participation in the electoral process.

At the federal level, primary and general elections are held in November every even-numbered year. The major state and county elections are held in even-numbered years. County referenda, special district, and city elections may be held during even and odd-numbered years. In addition, the Governor calls special elections when necessary to fill vacancies created by deaths, resignations, removals, etc.

County supervisors of elections, who are elected constitutional officers in all but two counties, are primarily responsible for registering voters, establishing voting precincts, and administering elections. These officials use local, state, and if available federal funds for these functions. Each county also has a canvassing board, which is responsible for canvassing ballots, as well as certifying and transferring the results of state and federal elections to the Division of Elections.

The division has a limited role in the administration of elections and works with other governmental entities to fulfill these local, state, and federal responsibilities.

• Election Law Compliance. The division issues advisory opinions that provide statewide coordination and direction for interpreting and implementing election law provisions. The division also qualifies federal, state, multicounty, and district candidates and is the filing officer for campaign finance reports for federal, state, and multicounty candidates; political committees; and state political parties.   
• Elections Administration. Although counties have primary responsibility for administering elections, the division also has a role. The division provides guidance to counties leading into state elections and administers the statewide tabulation of county results starting with election night through the official certification two weeks later. The division also provides statewide vote totals to Florida's Elections Canvassing Commission, which is responsible for certifying the federal, state, and multicounty election results. In addition, the division certifies all voting systems used in Florida and prescribes ballot instructions and overall ballot layout for each voting system through adoption of an administrative rule. The division is also responsible for testing automated audit and recount systems.
• Voter Participation. The division promotes participation in elections by providing training. It staffs the Florida Voter Assistance Hotline and oversees the operation and maintenance of the statewide voter registration system and the online voter registration system. The division is also responsible for assisting Supervisors of Elections with the voter registration and removal process and identifying potentially ineligible voters.

The Division of Elections is organized into a director's office and three bureaus.

• Director's Office is responsible for the statewide coordination and direction for the interpretation and enforcement of election laws, as required by Florida statutes, and to provide supervision to the division's bureaus. In addition, the office oversees a number of programs including, constitutional amendment newspaper and booklet publication, initiative petition and circulator registration, special salary qualification, and mail ballot request. It also oversees the fiscal administration of state and federal grants as may be made available under the Help America Vote Act.
• Bureau of Election Records handles candidate and political committee filings, including campaign finance and qualifying papers and conducts audits. It oversees the Public Campaign Finance Program and the Notices of General Elections for statewide elections.  The bureau also processes commissions of office for elected officials on behalf of the Governor.
• Bureau of Voter Registration coordinates and manages the official statewide voter registration system including assisting supervisors of election with voter registration and voter removal processes. This bureau also provides public assistance through the Voter Assistance Hotline and public email inboxes including general voter registration matters and support for the online voter registration system. The bureau also oversees the voter registration agencies under National Voter Registration Act voter registration agency program and third-party voter registration organization program.
• Bureau of Voting Systems Certification implements Florida's voting systems certification standards for all voting systems in Florida and provides technical assistance to county supervisors of elections on voting systems and automated audits.

The division is funded through general revenue funds and Federal Grants Trust Fund. The Federal Grants Trust Fund revenues for the division come from federal Help America Vote Act funds.

Elections. The 2023 Florida Legislature enacted Ch. 2023-120, Laws of Florida, which increases the security of vote-by-mail ballots, makes changes to enhance the accuracy of Florida’s voter rolls, and improves access to reports and data. The law also clarifies that resign-to-run requirements, which apply to persons who qualify for office, do not apply to persons seeking the office of president or vice president because such persons to not qualify for office under statutory requirements.

Residency of Elected Officials and Local Redistricting. The 2023 Florida Legislature enacted Ch. 2023-101, Laws of Florida, which changes the provision that requires a school board candidate to reside within the residence area for which he or she is running. The law makes the residency requirement apply when an elected school board member assumes office rather than when he or she qualifies to run as a candidate.The law also makes changes related to local redistricting, including

• prohibiting county commission districts, municipal districts, and school board member residence areas from being drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor a candidate for the governing body or an incumbent member of the governing body based on the candidate’s or incumbent’s residential address; 
• requiring county commission districts to be as nearly equal in population as practicable; and
• requiring municipalities, from time to time, to fix the boundaries of their districts in order to keep them as nearly equal in proportion to their respective populations as practicable.

Other Reports
Analysis and Report of Overvotes and Undervotes in the 2020 General Election, Florida Division of Elections, January 2021
Restoration of Voting Rights Workgroup - Final Report, Department of State, November 2019
Analysis and Report of Overvotes and Undervotes in the 2018 General Election, Florida Division of Elections, January 2019

Websites of Interest
Elections Data and Voter Registration Statistics
Find Your County Supervisor of Elections by Map
Florida Elections Commission
Federal Election Commission
Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP)
U.S. Elections Assistance Commission
Contact Your Elected Officer

Performance Measures

Performance measures and standards for the department may be found in its Long Range Program Plan.

Chapters 15, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 111, 116, 117, and 119, and s. 20.10, Florida Statutes

 Division of Elections’ Main line

• 850-245-6200 (all calls)

Voter Assistance Hotline

• Phone Number: 866-308-6739
• Florida Relay Service (TDD or voice) is available to persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or speech disabled. Dial 7-1-1

Email/online inquiries

• DivElections@dos.myflorida.com (general inquiries)
• BVRShelp@dos.myflorida.com (voting and voter registration inquiries only)
• ElecRecords@dos.myflorida.com (campaign, candidate, and qualifying inquiries only)
• VoteSys@dos.myflorida.com (voting systems inquiries only)
• OVRSupport@dos.myflorida.com (RegistertoVoteFlorida.gov related inquiries only)

Voter Fraud Hotline

• Phone Number: 877-868-3737
• Florida Relay Service (TDD or voice) is available to persons who are deaf, hard of hearing,

Website