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Preparing for the 2018 Florida midterm elections

The 2018 Florida midterm elections are right around the corner; the primaries are Aug. 28 and the general election is Nov. 6. You may not know what needs to be done prior to casting your ballot, so here's a general list on how to prepare.

Registration:

Eligibility:

To be able to register to vote in Florida, you must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen
  • Be a Florida resident
  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Have never been legally judged ineligible to vote
  • Have not been convicted of a felony and have not yet had your civil rights restored

How to register: 

To be able to vote on Election Day, you have to register through the Florida Division of Elections in person, by mail, or online, and have a current, valid picture identification with a signature.

You will need to mail or take a completed form, the Florida Voter Registration Application (Form DS-DE 39), to your local county supervisor of elections.

If it is your first time registering, you will need to provide proof of your identity.

You can take a complete form to any of these locations:

  • A driver's license office.
  • A voter registration agency.
  • An armed forces recruitment office.
  • Any public library.
Where to vote:

At your polling place:

To check your registration status and find your exact polling place, enter your name and birthdate here: 
https://registration.elections.myflorida.com/CheckVoterStatus

Voting by mail:

You can receive a ballot through the mail and can request a vote-by-mail ballot by:

  • Applying online on your county supervisors of elections' website
  • By e-mail, fax, or mail to your supervisor of elections
  • In person at supervisor of elections
  • By telephone call to supervisor of elections
Important dates:

Voter registration deadlines:

  • Primary - July 30
  • General - Oct. 9

Early voting period:

  • Primary - Aug. 18 to Aug. 25
  • General - Oct. 27 to Nov. 3

Election days:

  • Primary - Aug. 28
  • General - Nov. 6

Polls are open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Why should you vote?

  • The United States is predominantly a two-party system and registering as a Republican or Democrat allows you to vote for your favored candidate in the primaries.
  • Determines whether Republicans will hold their majorities in both the House and Senate.
  • Voices your opinion and gets what you want done by our representative democracy.

Cox Media Group

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