Florida is an “identification required” state, but know your rights to ensure that you are treated with respect and dignity at the polls. Your vote counts more than ever this year, so be sure you have the knowledge to make your voice heard and your vote count!

Identification Requirements to Cast a Ballot

To vote a regular ballot, the Florida clerk or inspector requires each elector, upon entering the polling place, to present one of the following current and valid picture identifications:

• Florida driver license;
• Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles;
• United States passport;
• Debit or credit card;
• Military identification;
• Student identification;
• Retirement center identification;
• Neighborhood association identification;
• Public assistance identification;
• Public assistance identification;
• Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs;
• A license to carry a concealed weapon or firearm; or
• Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality.

Note: If the picture identification does not contain the signature of the voter, an additional identification that provides the voter’s signature shall be required. If the voter fails to furnish the required identification, the voter shall be allowed to vote a provisional ballot.

Checklist For Election Day

• If ID is required in your state, bring it. It is also helpful to bring your voter registration card, a utility bill showing the address where you are registered, and this one-pager. You might also want to bring other IDs if you have them available.

• If poll workers question your identity or eligibility to vote, show them the utility bill and the info for poll workers below.

• If you are still not allowed to vote, look for a volunteer attorney at the polling place who may be there assisting voters who are being told they cannot vote. If no one is around, then call the National Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) for help.

• If you are still not allowed to vote on a regular ballot, request a provisional ballot. If you are forced to use a provisional ballot, ask for follow-up instructions, as you generally must return to election officials within a few days to prove your identity in order for your ballot to be counted. If you cast a provisional ballot, call the National Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683), which can help you make sure your ballot is counted.

Information For Poll Workers And Election Officials

The voter you are talking to is transgender, meaning that their gender identity is different than the gender that was recorded on their birth certificate. Transgender people may not have been able to update their IDs to reflect their identity for a number of reasons. This is not illegal. As long as the relevant voter data (usually the name and address) matches one of the acceptable forms of ID, the voter has the right to vote. Please do not be distracted by gender presentation when you are evaluating a voter’s identity and eligibility to vote.

Here is other information that might be useful to you:

• Gender discrepancies on ID are not a valid reason to deny a regular ballot. Transgender voters may have ID that indicates a different gender than what they look like. They may not have had the opportunity to update their ID yet, or may not be able to do so in your state. This does not mean their ID is invalid or fraudulent for voting.

• Different clothing, makeup or hairstyle on an ID photo is not a valid reason to deny a regular ballot. Voters may look different today than on their photo ID for many reasons. The photo on an ID may show a different gender presentation. As long as you can identify the voter from their picture, the ID is valid for voting.

• A voter’s transgender status and medical history is private. Although you may be curious or confused about a voter’s appearance, asking personal questions is offensive, inappropriate, and not relevant to their right to vote.

• Transgender voters are not doing anything wrong or trying to deceive you—they are just being themselves. Transgender people have the right to vote just like everyone else, and it is your responsibility to ensure they are able to do so without hassle. If confusion about this person’s right to vote persists, please speak to an election supervisor or election judge in your area to resolve any remaining questions.

Other resources: 

• National Center for Transgender Equality's "Voting While Trans"