Vote-by-mail ballots for March 19 Presidential Preference Primary in the mail to domestic voters

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More than 25,000 to be sent

These are the locations of the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections offices. Image from the Supervisor of Elections website

On Feb. 8, Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner began mailing vote-by-mail ballots — also referred to as absentee ballots — to domestic voters for the March 19 Presidential Preference Primary (PPP), his staff announced.

Only registered Republican voters may vote in the March 19 Presidential Preference Primary, a news release points out.

More than 25,000 ballots will be mailed to registered Republican voters who have a vote-by-mail request on file with the elections office, Turner said in the release. “This mailing follows the vote-by-mail ballots sent last week to registered military and overseas voters with requests on file,” the release adds.

“It’s important to remember that since the state Democratic Party already selected its candidate for the party’s nomination for president, only the Republican Party will hold a statewide presidential primary,” Turner pointed out in the release. “To vote in it, you must be a registered Republican by the voter registration deadline on Feb. 20,” he added.

Voters have until 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 7, to request that ballots be mailed to them for the coming election, Turner also noted.

A voter may request a vote-by-mail ballot in one of the following ways:

  • Going online at SarasotaVotes.gov/VotebyMail.
  • In person at any of three elections offices — in Sarasota, Venice or North Port.
  • By phone to 941-861-8618.

“Voted ballots may be returned by mail or in person to the supervisor of elections but must be received in the elections office no later than 7 p.m. on election night to be counted,” Turner said in the release. Further, “Voters who cast their ballots by mail must sign the certificate on the ballot return envelope and their signature should match the signature on file in the statewide voter registration database,” he emphasized.

A voter may update his or her signature at any time by submitting a Florida Voter Registration Application to the elections office, the release says.

For more information, visit SarasotaVotes.gov or call 941-861-8618.