The good news? FEA members vote at a higher rate than the average Floridian.
The even better news? Parents and voters trust what teachers and education staff professionals say is best for our public schools. They know that educators, not politicians, should be making classroom decisions to ensure student success.
FEA members will be making many important decisions on the 2020 ballot that will affect our students, our schools and our communities for years. On this page we’ve collected resources to help you make those decisions.
FEA’s Voter Guide
- FEA endorsed candidates (to be updated after 2020 candidate qualifying)
- How well did your legislator support public education?
- Our national affiliates, the National Education Association (Education Votes) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT Votes) websites have additional resources for union members and their families:
Make a Plan to Vote
Keep in mind that your local Supervisor of Elections will have many of these resources (and additional local ones) on their website.
FEA’s Voter Guide
FEA endorsed candidates
The Florida Education Association makes candidate endorsements utilizing research, local input and a democratic process. The endorsements are based upon education issues.
Candidate endorsements are based upon a commitment to our neighborhood public schools, colleges and universities, our students and to the people who work in public education.
Candidate qualifying occurs in June of each election year. Please check back during the summer of 2020 when we will be updating this for the 2020 election cycle.
How you vote is a personal decision. As an educator, exercising your right and responsibility to vote is paramount duty to your students and your community. When educators vote, students win!
To find which Congressional, Florida House or Florida Senate district you live in please (1) refer to your voter registration card or (2) contact your local Supervisor of Elections office.
How well did your legislator support public education?
For the past two decades the legislature has graded teachers and schools, as well as students. The Florida Education Association decided it was about time that legislators get a grade for their work as well.
The FEA Legislative Report Card measures Florida legislators’ overall support for public education during the 2017 and 2018 legislative sessions, with each lawmaker receiving a letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F.
Additional Resources
- American Federation of Teachers AFT Votes website
- National Education Association Education Votes website
- 24 Florida Election and Voting Myths Debunked
Make a Plan to Vote
2020 Election Dates
2020 Florida Presidential Preference Primary Election
February 18 Registration deadline
February 11 Vote-by-Mail begins*
March 7 Early voting begins^
March 13 Last day to request a ballot by mail*
March 14 Early voting ends^
March 17 Presidential Primary Day
2020 Primary Election
July 21 Vote-by-Mail begins*
July 27 Registration deadline
August 15 Early voting begins^
August 22 Early voting ends^
August 21 Last day to request a ballot by mail*
August 25 Primary Election Day
2020 General Election
September 29 Vote-by-Mail begins*
October 5 Registration deadline
October 24 Early voting begins^
October 30 Last day to request a ballot by mail*
October 31 Early voting ends^
November 3 Election Day
* County elections officials may start sending ballots on the date shown. They will continue to send ballots up until the Friday before Election Day. Check with your county election officials for a more specific schedule.
^ Some counties will offer additional days of voting. Check with your county election officials for a more specific schedule and a list of early voting sites.
Check your voter registration
To avoid problems at the polls, FEA is urging all union members to regularly check and update their voter status before the registration deadlines for the 2020 elections (see above).
Checking your voter status is easy and can be done online through:
- the Florida Division of Elections Voter Information Lookup page
- or your county Supervisor of elections
If you are not able to find your information should contact your county Supervisor of Elections office or call the Division of Elections’ Voter Assistance hotline at (866) 308-6739 to report the problem.
How will you vote?
Request your Vote-By-Mail ballot today
There are several ways to vote, but each year more Floridians are requesting Vote-by-Mail ballots. Why vote by mail?
- Take your time researching and making your voting decisions
- Vote on your schedule, no risk of waiting in lines
- Make sure your vote counts!
Voting by mail is safe, convenient and the easiest way to participate in an election. Best of all, your request will cover all elections throughout the year. Visit the Division of Elections or your local Supervisor of Elections office.
Early voting
More and more voters are choosing to vote during early voting weeks. You can find out when and where early voting is taking place by visiting your local Supervisor of Elections office.
Voting on Election Day
You can find information on your polling location at your local Supervisor of Elections office.
The polls are open on Election Day, from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Any voters waiting in line at 7:00 p.m. will have the opportunity to cast a ballot.
At your designated polling location, you will be asked to provide a valid photo ID with signature. Any one of the following photo IDs will be accepted:
- Florida driver’s license or ID card
- United States passport
- Debit or credit card
- Military identification
- Student identification
- Retirement center identification
- Neighborhood association identification
- Public assistance identification
- Veteran health identification card issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs
- License to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06
- Government employee identification card
If your photo ID does not include your signature, you will be asked to provide another ID that has your signature.
