A number of changes — including shifts in congressional and state Senate districts — necessitated the action
The Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office issued new voter information cards on Friday, Sept. 29, to all registered voters in Sarasota County, Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner announced.
“The new cards will contain vital information about a voter’s Congressional, State Senate, State House, County Commission, School Board, and Municipal voting districts, as well as important precinct and polling location information,” a news release explains.
In addition, the release points out, “the new cards will contain important information about how to access Florida’s new online voter registration system. Effective Oct. 1, Florida voters may submit new voter registration applications or update their current voter records online by going to www.RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov.
Turner is urging voters to destroy their old cards and pay special attention to the information contained on the new cards, noting that a number of significant changes have occurred since the 2016 elections, the release adds. These changes are as follows: Sarasota County is split between two U.S. congressional districts: 16 and 17; the county’s Florida Senate seat has been changed to District 23 from District 28; redistricting has been undertaken by the Sarasota County School Board; and name and location changes for several polling locations have taken place.
The poll differences are as follows:
- Precinct 106 — name change to Shining Light Church, located at 8500 Fruitville Road in Sarasota.
- Precinct 119 — location change to Faith Church, located at 1201 N. Beneva Road in Sarasota.
- Precinct 217 — name change to Fruitville Ministry Park, located at 3375 Fruitville Road in Sarasota.
- Precinct 219 — name change to Sarasota Community Church, located at 4041 Bahia Vista St. in Sarasota.
- Precinct 227 — location change to Church of the Palms, located at 3224 Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota.
- Precinct 411 — location change to St. Boniface Episcopal Church, located at 5615 Midnight Pass Road in Sarasota.
- Precinct 435 — name change to Venetian River Club, located at 502 Veneto Blvd. in north Venice.
- Precinct 515 — location change to Hotel Venezia, located at 425 U.S. 41 Bypass North in Venice.
The mailing will help the elections office maintain accurate and current voter rolls, the release points out. Cards have been mailed to addresses on file with the elections office, and those cards are not forwardable, the release stresses. As a result, the elections office will be notified by the U.S. Postal Service of address changes, which will help staff keep the voter registration rolls up-to-date, Turner noted in the release.
If a voter does not receive a new card or needs to update any of the information on the new card, he or she should contact the elections office at 861-8619, the release adds. Voters with questions about the new cards also may call or visit www.SarasotaVotes.com.
As was the case with the old cards, the new voter information cards are informational only and may not be used as identification for voting purposes, the release says. Turner reminds all voters to take a photo and signature ID to the polls when voting at an early voting location or at the polls on Election Day.