Voting in Florida 2020: Tampa Bay area election guide

Experts say the 2020 election in Florida is not going to be like any election in the Sunshine State before. With more vote-by-mail ballots than ever, it’s not clear when we’ll even know who the winner of the 2020 election is.

To make sure your vote counts, there are several things to know about early voting in Florida and voting by mail in 2020. Here are the basics; scroll down the page for your specific county information.

KEY FLORIDA VOTING DATES:

Registration deadline: Monday, October 5 at 5 p.m.  Florida Law requires the voter registration books to close 29 days before each election.

Last day to request a mail-in ballot: Saturday, October 24 at 5 p.m. Florida law says mail-in ballots must be requested by 5 p.m. the 10th day before the election

First day that mail-in ballots are sent out: September 24. Florida law says mail-in ballots are to be sent 40 to 33 days before the election, with military/overseas no later than 45 days before the election.

Mail-in ballots must arrive by: November 3 at 7 p.m. The date on which your ballot is postmarked is irrelevant; it must arrive at the elections office by 7 p.m. the night of the election. You can deliver it by hand if you forget to mail it in time.

RELATED: Why your Florida mail-in ballot might get rejected

FLORIDA AMENDMENTS EXPLAINED:

VOTING BY MAIL

Democrats, Republicans, and supervisors of elections agree that voting by mail in Florida is safe and secure. Years ago, Florida absentee ballots were phased out in favor of vote-by-mail for all who request it.  And in Florida, you have to specifically request a mail-in order to receive one -- which means there is a paper trail -- and no randomly mailing everyone a ballot. 

RELATED: How Florida mail-in ballots are processed at the elections office

You can track the status of your mail-in vote online, just like you do for an Amazon order. Each county has a unique link; check your supervisor of elections website for information. Details are below.

    CITRUS COUNTY:

    DESOTO COUNTY:

    HARDEE COUNTY:

    HERNANDO COUNTY:

    HIGHLANDS COUNTY:

    HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY:

    MANATEE COUNTY:

    PASCO COUNTY:

    PINELLAS COUNTY:

    POLK COUNTY:

    SARASOTA COUNTY:

    SUMTER COUNTY:

    RELATED: Florida's diverse and growing population will uphold its crucial swing state status in 2020, experts say