TAMPA, Fla. — Election Day 2024 is just around the corner — and whether you're voting early, dropping off your ballot or casting your vote on Nov. 5 — now's your time to plan for the polls.
10 Tampa Bay created a 2024 Florida voter's guide where you can read up on the major candidate matchups, get a quick rundown on the six amendments and see all your voting options.
But when it's time to head to your local polling place, here's what you can — and can't — bring into the voting booth.
What you need to bring to vote in Florida
The only thing you need to bring to the polls is a current and valid photo ID that has your signature.
Accepted forms of ID include:
- Florida driver's license
- Florida ID card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
- U.S. passport
- Debit or credit card
- Military ID
- Student ID
- Retirement center ID
- Neighborhood association ID
- Public assistance ID
- Veteran health ID (issued by VA)
- Concealed weapon license
- Government employee ID
If your ID doesn't have a signature, you'll be asked to provide a second ID that does have it. And if you forget an ID altogether, you can still cast a provisional ballot that will count as long as the signature on your ballot matches the signature on your registration record.
Can I bring my phone with me to vote?
The short answer is yes.
People are allowed to bring their phones with them into voting booths to reference notes, sample ballots or voter guides online.
The rules for taking photos, however, are a little dicey.
Thanks to a change in Florida law in 2019, people can take photos of only their own ballots inside the voting booth. You can even take a selfie inside the booth. But, it's illegal to post those pictures of your ballot online.
You also can't take photos of other people or things within the voting area. To play it safe, you may just want to take a photo with your "I voted" sticker once you get outside.
And while there aren't explicit rules about talking on the phone inside the voting area, local supervisors of election "may take any reasonable action to ensure order is maintained at the polling place." So, they could ask you to leave if you're being disruptive.
What can I bring with me to vote?
- Phones
- Notes or sample ballots for reference
- Kids
- Political buttons or clothing
- Masks
- Service and emotional support animals
- Your own pen (blue or black)
What can't I bring with me to vote?
- A vote-by-mail ballot (this must be surrendered if you decide to vote in person)
- Campaign handouts, fliers or other materials
- Petitions or other solicitations
Per Florida law, no person or political group may solicit voters inside the polling place or within 150 feet of a secure ballot intake station or the entrance to any polling place.
