Signature Matching

The most important factor in determining whether your vote is counted is your signature. Florida uses signature matching, which means the signature on your vote-by-mail ballot or provisional ballot will be compared to the signature in the voter registration records. If the signature on your vote-by-mail ballot matches the signature in the voting registration records, your ballot should be counted. If the signature included in the returned ballot does not match the signature on file for the voter the ballot may be rejected. 

The good news is that in 2018 Pinellas County had the lowest VBM ballot rejection rate, at less than 1 percent (approximately 0.12%). This minimal vote-by-mail rejection rate is a remarkable statistic considering that Pinellas County also had the highest percentage of vote-by-mail ballots submitted among the entire state, with 54.9% of votes cast in Pinellas County being submitted by mail. This means the likelihood your ballot will be rejected due to a signature mismatch is minimal, but it can happen. 

If your ballot is rejected, you can take action to cure the mismatch and get your ballot counted. You can also updated your signature with the Supervisor of Elections prior to returning your VBM ballot. 

What Signature is Referenced? 

When you vote by mail, the signature on the outside of your vote-by-mail ballot is considered proof of identification, and thus must be compared to your signature on file in the voting registration records. Unless you recently updated your signature with the Supervisor of Elections, the most likely signature on file for you is a signature from the DMV for a driver license or ID card. 

Best Practices for Signature Matching

Signatures at the Department of Motor Vehicles are often created using a digital signature pad and may be decades old depending upon the date of issuance. Handwriting can change materially over the years, which is why it is a best practice to reference your state identification prior to signing your vote-by-mail ballot. Make sure your signature on your vote-by-mail ballot will match the signature on record. 

Updating the Signature on File 

If needed, you can update your signature by submitting an updated voter registration form to the Supervisor of Elections. A registered voter may update their signature on file at any time by mailing a completed voter registration application to Pinellas Supervisor of Elections 13001 Starkey Road Largo, FL 33773.

You can also return your completed voter registration form by submitting a voter registration application to a voter registration official.

If you are going to update your signature or other information, make sure to do so before you vote. All signature updates for use in verifying vote-by-mail and provisional ballots must be received by the appropriate Supervisor of Elections office before the voter's ballot is received by the supervisor or, in the case of provisional ballots, before the voter's ballot is cast. This means your updated signature must be received prior to the receipt of your vote-by-mail ballot to be counted in the current election.