How to register to vote and check your status in Florida

TAMPA, Fla. — The 2020 general election is Nov. 3, and Floridians must be registered to vote by Oct. 5 in order to participate.

The polls are open on Election Day from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. local time in Florida. If you're still waiting in line at 7 p.m., you're legally allowed to cast your ballot.

Florida makes it easy to register to vote online, but that's not the only way to register.

Are you registered to vote? Click or tap here to check your voter registration status by searching your name and birth date.

If you're not registered to vote: The Florida Department of State allows you to register online. To submit an online application, you'll need your Florida driver's license or identification card and must know the last four digits of your Social Security number. Click here to begin the process.

If you don't have the information above, don't worry. While you won't be able to register exclusively online, you can still use the online system to fill out a voter registration application. You'll just have to print, sign and mail or deliver it to your county's supervisor of elections office instead of submitting it through the website. Click here to begin.

Want to register by mail? Download this voter registration application or pick up a paper application at any county supervisor of elections office, local library or entity authorized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to issue fishing, hunting, and trapping permits.

Plan to register in person? You can apply at any of the following agencies while accessing their services:

• A Florida driver's license office
• A tax collector's office that issues driver's licenses or Florida ID cards
• A voter registration agency

RELATED: Early voting dates and locations for the 2020 general election

To be eligible to register to vote in Florida, you must:

• Be a citizen of the United States
• Be a legal resident of Florida
• Be a legal resident of the county in which you seek to be registered
• Be at least 16 years old to preregister or at least 18 years old to register and vote
• Not be a person who has been adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or any other state without having the right to vote restored
• Not be a person convicted of a felony without having your right to vote restored

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