Citizens also encouraged to make any necessary updates to their voter records
The last day for a person to register to vote, or to update his or her party affiliation to be eligible to vote, in the March 17 presidential preference primary will be Tuesday, Feb. 18, Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner has announced.
Turner recommends that voters confirm before the Feb. 18 deadline that they are registered to vote and that their voter registration information is current, a news release points out. “A voter may check his or her voter eligibility at SarasotaVotes.com. Just click on ‘Voter Information’ in the main menu and then on ‘Voter Lookup’ and follow the easy instructions,” a Supervisor of Elections Office news release says.
Turner also is reminding voters that because Florida is a closed primary state, “voters are eligible to vote only for the candidates of their own party in a primary election,” the release emphasizes. “Voters who are registered with a minor political party or without party affiliation (NPA)” will not be allowed to vote a Democratic or Republican primary ballot in the March 17 presidential preference primary, the release adds. However, these voters may vote in nonpartisan contests and on ballot questions, such as the Holiday Park Park & Recreation District election (Precinct 341) or the Town of Longboat Key bond referendum (Precinct 201). Those issues also will be on the applicable March 17 ballots, the release says
“New paper voter registration applications and party changes must be completed, signed and returned in person to an elections office or postmarked by the February 18 deadline,” the release also emphasizes. Applications submitted electronically before midnight on Feb. 18 through RegistertoVoteFlorida.gov will be accepted as well, the release points out.
Additionally, any voter who has moved or changed his or her name, or any voter who needs to update his or her signature since the last election, may complete a voter registration application to update the record, the release continues.
Applications are available at all three elections offices — in Sarasota, Venice and North Port; and at public libraries, military recruitment offices, and public assistance offices. They also may be downloaded at SarasotaVotes.com.
Further, voter registration applications may be submitted through any driver’s license or tax collector’s office that issues Florida driver licenses or Florida ID cards, the release notes.
For more information or assistance, voters may call the Supervisor of Elections Office at 861-8619 or visit the office website.