If you're one of the many Floridians who's waited until the last chance to vote in the primary election, here's what you need to know.
Why?
The primary election doesn’t just decide party nominees. In several local elections in Florida, the primary is where voters will decide on important nonpartisan issues, like whether to amend the Kissimmee charter to change rules on term limits and background checks.
Where?
First, in Florida, you need to vote at your designated polling location.
You can find that on your voter information card that you got in the mail. You can also find this on your county supervisor of elections website.
Even if you know where you voted last election, this year’s congressional mid-decade redistricting has rearranged some precinct boundaries, so it’s worth it to double-check before you go.
And if you don’t drive, there are free rideshare groups like VoteRun that connect voters to polls on election day.
When?
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Election officials are expecting lines at the polls. In Lake County, about half of all ballots cast in the primary are on track to be cast on election day based on past elections, according to Supervisor Alan Hayes.
And plan to wait if you go during peak hours: before and after work and around lunchtime, according to Blake Summerlin with the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office.
You might want to bring some water and a hat to stay cool if lines run outside. Summerlin said that voters can also opt to reserve a spot in line and then stay in their cars to beat the heat.
Regardless, anyone in line before 7 p.m. will have their vote counted.
How?
When you get to your polling location, you’ll need some form of ID to actually vote, including any of the following:
- State driver's license or id
- Passport
- Credit or debit card
- Student id
- Military ID
- Retirement home ID
- Concealed carry license
And voting isn’t a test at school, even if they feel similar.
You can bring a sample ballot into the booth with you if you want to make sure you know who to mark on your real ballot. You may have gotten a sample ballot in the mail, but you can also find it online and print it out at your local library if you want.
And if you still aren’t sure, you can research candidates and issues while in your polling booth Voting is an open-book test — one that our voting guide can help you with.
