Vote-By-Mail
Vote-by-mail refers to voting a ballot received by mail or picked up by or for a voter instead of going to the polls to vote during early voting or on Election Day. Any registered voter can vote by mail. You can request a vote-by-mail ballot for a specific election or for all elections through the end of the calendar year of the next regularly scheduled general election. Once expired, you will need to renew your request.
A vote-by-mail ballot is not forwardable by the U.S. Postal Service. A ballot returned undeliverable will cancel all future requests and must be renewed. Make sure you provide the Elections Office with the correct address where you would like your ballot mailed. Your ballot will be mailed to your residential address unless the Elections Office has another authorized address on file. By law, special accommodations are available for military and overseas voters.
Request A Mail Ballot Track Your Mail Ballot
REQUESTING YOUR VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT
A request for a vote-by-mail ballot may be made in one of the following ways:
Online: Vote-By-Mail Service
In Writing: Statewide Vote-By-Mail Request Form / Formulario de solicitud de voto por correo estatal
By Phone: (772) 226-4700
In Person: Indian River County Supervisor of Elections, 4375 43rd Avenue, Vero Beach, FL 34997
When sending a vote-by-mail ballot to an address not on file with the Florida Voter Registration System, the request must be in writing and signed by the voter. The online mail ballot request service system will notify you if the address is not already on file and you will be prompted to print, sign and submit your request to the Elections Office.
To request an ADA Accessible Ballot, contact the Elections Office at 772-226-4702 or 772-226-4718.
DEADLINE TO REQUEST
The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot to be mailed is 5 p.m. on the 12th day before Election Day.
A request for a vote-by-mail ballot to be mailed to a voter must be received no later than 5 p.m. (E.S.T) on the twelfth (12th) day before the election by the Indian River County Supervisor of Elections.
Please note the initial mailing dates for the upcoming elections when making your request:
| Primary Election | General Election | |
| Election Date | August 18, 2026 | November 3, 2026 |
| Initial Mail Date | July 9, 2026 | September 24, 2026 |
| Request Deadline | August 6, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. | October 22, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. |
A voter can pick up a vote-by-mail ballot at the Indian River County Supervisor of Elections office; these ballots are generally available (6) weeks before the date of the election.
If a voter can't get to a voting location, the voter can designate someone to pick up a Vote-by-mail ballot for them from our office. The designation must be authorized in writing on the DS-DE 160 for Statewide Vote-By Mail Ballot Request Form.
A designee is limited to picking up Vote-by-mail ballots for two other voters per election, not including their own ballot and the ballots for immediate family members. Immediate family members include the spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild or sibling of the designee or designee's spouse. The designee must present valid photo ID and submit the DS-DE 162 Personal Delivery of Vote-by-Mail Ballot Form to pick up the voter's blank ballot. This document is a combination form that includes an emergency pick-up affidavit (if applicable), designee affidavit, and the voter's written authorization of designee.
Additionally, a voter's request for a vote-by-mail ballot must already be on file or, alternatively, may be submitted by the designee at the time of pickup by providing the required personally identifying information for the voter on the DS-DE 160 for Statewide Vote-By Mail Ballot Request Form.
If a designee is picking up a Vote-by-mail ballot on or within 10 days of Election Day, the voter must have completed Section I of the DS-DE 162 Personal Delivery of Vote-by-Mail Ballot Form, affirming that an emergency prevents the voter from voting at an Early Voting site or at his or her assigned polling place on Election Day, and describing the emergency circumstances.
The Florida Division of Elections DS-DE 160 & DS-DE 162 Forms can be found on the Florida Division of Elections website.
Click here for the Florida Division of Elections website.
VOTING YOUR VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT
Detailed instructions are included with the vote-by-mail ballot, please follow them carefully. Make sure to include your signature or legal mark on the Voter's Certificate Envelope, as failure to do so may cause your ballot not to count.
You must personally vote your own ballot unless assistance is required due to blindness, disability, or inability to read or write. Power of attorney cannot sign for a voter.
If you misplace or make a mistake on your ballot, let us know immediately so that we can send you a replacement ballot. A voter can receive up to (3) vote-by-mail ballots, but the first one received by our office will be the one that is counted. Once the Elections Office has received your vote-by-mail ballot, your ballot has been cast and no changes can be made.
If you decide to go to the polls to vote instead of voting your vote-by-mail ballot, bring your vote-by-mail ballot (marked or not) with you. The vote-by-mail ballot will be cancelled and you can vote a regular ballot. If you arrive to the polls without your vote-by-mail ballot, our office will need to confirm that we have not received your vote-by-mail ballot in order for you to be eligible to vote a regular ballot. If the Elections Office has received your vote-by-mail ballot, you cannot vote a regular ballot. However, if you dispute that you have already voted, you will be allowed to vote a provisional ballot. The status of your provisional ballot will be determined by the canvassing board.