For release: June 30, 2020
Contact: Rachel Denton, Communications and Voter Outreach Manager, 941.861.8606
Voter registration/party change deadline nearing for
August 18 primary
SARASOTA, FL – Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner is reminding county residents that the last day to register to be eligible to vote in the August 18, 2020 primary election or change party affiliation for that election is Monday, July 20.
Turner recommends that voters confirm before the July 20 deadline that they are registered to vote and that their voter registration information is current. 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.
New paper voter registration applications and applications for party changes must be completed, signed and returned in person to an elections office or postmarked by the July 20 deadline. Applications submitted electronically before midnight on July 20 through RegistertoVoteFlorida.gov will also be accepted. Voters who have moved, changed their names, or need to update their signatures since the last election may also complete a voter registration application to update their voter records.
Voter registration applications are available at all elections offices in Sarasota, Venice and North Port; at public libraries, military recruitment offices, and public assistance offices, or may be downloaded at SarasotaVotes.com. Applications also may be submitted through any driver license or tax collector’s office that issues Florida driver licenses or Florida ID cards.
Turner also reminds voters that Florida is a closed primary state, which means only voters who are registered with political party affiliation may vote in their party’s primary. Voters who are registered with minor or no party affiliation may only vote in non-partisan and universal primary contests. A universal primary contest is held when all the candidates for an office are of the same party and the winner will have no opposition in the general election.
“There is something for everyone on the August 18 ballot,” Turner notes, “including non-partisan races for School Board members in districts 2 and 3 and a pair of universal primary contests.” The universal primary contests include one for Sheriff, which will appear on all ballots, and one for State Representative in House District 70, which will appear on all ballots of voters who reside in HD 70, regardless of party affiliation. “In addition, voters who reside in the cities of Sarasota and North Port will have municipal races on their ballots,” Turner said.
For more information or assistance, voters may call the supervisor of elections office at 941.861.8619 or visit the website.
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Note: Party affiliation can be changed for each election. Book closing* for each of the 2020 elections is as follows:
August 18 primary July 20
November 3 general October 5
*Pursuant to §97.055, F.S., the deadline for new registrations and party changes is 29 days prior to any election.
More on Voter registration from the Sarasota News Leader.
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