<aside> 🗳️ About This Report
This report aims to build confidence in Florida’s voting system by shedding light on the processes, checks, and quality assurance steps in place that ensure fair and free elections, and, ultimately, a stronger democracy.
In this report you will find a detailed overview of the processes and offices and personnel that govern vote counting and certification, as well as a timeline of key dates. We have also identified potential process and personnel vulnerabilities to better help our pro-democracy partners monitor our elections and target corrective action to protect the integrity of our elections.
Please note, throughout the report, the blue ballot icon indicates research on legal and election process questions. The orange ballot icon indicates strategic research and potential threats. If you would like to share any feedback on this report or have questions for our research team, contact us at: info[at]informingdemocracy[dot]org.
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Florida has clear statutes and regulations governing the administration of its elections, including guidance issued by the Secretary of State, through the Department of State, to ensure election laws are uniformly applied throughout the state. At the county level, day-to-day election administration is primarily overseen by the Supervisor of Elections with the County Canvassing Commission — which typically includes the Supervisor of Elections — providing oversight and final decision-making authority with regards to most counting, canvassing, and certification activities. However, this year, Supervisors of Election are up for re-election and so those who are in a race with an opposing candidate are disqualified from serving on the Board and instead the Chair of the Board of County Commissioners must appoint a substitute from the Board of County Commissioners as a replacement member. At the State level, in addition to the Secretary of State’s role as the chief election officer, there is also an Election Canvassing Commission made up of members of the Governor’s cabinet, which is responsible for the state canvass and certification. The vast majority of Florida’s election administrators are dedicated public servants who have sought to make sure no voter is disenfranchised.
This section provides information about the key officers and personnel in charge of election administration in Florida. Click on each office below for complete details.
Org Chart: Florida Election Administration
Elections Canvassing Commission
Chair of the Board of County Commissioners
Office of Election Crimes + Security
Chief Judge of a Judicial Circuit
This section provides information about key election administration processes that occur at the county and state levels in Florida. Click on the process that you would like to know more about.
Voter Challenges + Challenged Ballots
Legal Protections for Canvass + Certification
While Florida's elections are designed to be administered in a secure, methodical, and structured way, we remain concerned by the potential that unknown bad actors may still attempt to abuse certain legitimate components of the post-vote process to sow chaos and exploit uncertainty, undermining confidence in our elections.
Read more about potential vulnerabilities here:
Potential 2024 Election Vulnerabilities in Florida