Politics & Government
Early Voting 2016: Find Your Tampa Bay Polling Place
Democrats and Republicans who want to cast their votes early in the Presidential Preference Primary will find dates vary by county.

BRANDON, FL — Tampa Bay area voters hoping to avoid the rush during the Presidential Preference Primary on March 15 will find early voting options are available in all counties.
Those who hope to take advantage of early voting will want to keep a few things in mind though. Florida is a closed primary state. That means only registered Republicans may vote for those on the Republican ballot and only registered Democrats may vote for the Democratic ticket. Independents will have to wait until the general election to cast their ballots in this year’s presidential race.
Here’s a breakdown of early voting information by county:
Hillsborough County
Early voting in Hillsborough County runs Monday, Feb. 29, through Sunday, March 13. The hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Locations for early voters are as follows:
- Bloomingdale Library, 1906 Bloomingdale Ave.
- C. Blythe Andrews Jr. Public Library, 2607 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
- Fred B. Karl County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd.
- Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library, 3910 S. Manhattan Ave.
- Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, 2902 W. Bearss Ave.
- New Tampa Regional Library, 10001 Cross Creek Blvd.
- North Tampa Branch Library, 8916 North Blvd.
- Bruton Memorial Library Plant City, 302 W. McLendon St.
- Riverview Branch Library, 10509 Riverview Drive
- Robert L. Gilder Elections Service Center, 2514 N. Falkenburg Road
- SouthShore Regional Library, 15816 Beth Shields Way
- Temple Terrace Public Library, 202 Bullard Parkway
- Town ‘N Country Regional Library, 7606 Paula Drive
- Upper Tampa Bay Regional Library, 11211 Countryway Blvd.
- West Tampa Branch Library, 2312 W. Union St.
For more information on voting in Hillsborough County, visit the supervisor of elections office online.
Sarasota County
Early voting in Sarasota County begins March 5 and continues through March 12. The county’s early voting polling locations will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Three locations are available to voters:
- Supervisor of Elections Office, 2001 Adams Lane, Sarasota
- Supervisor of Elections Office, 13640 Tamiami Trail, North Port
- Supervisor of Elections office, 4000 Tamiami Trail S., Venice
For more information on voting, visit the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office online.
Manatee County
Early voting in Manatee County begins Saturday, March 5 and runs through Saturday, March 12. Polls will be open between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Early Voting days.
The locations are as follows:
- Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, 8175 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.
- Palmetto Library, 923 6th St. W., Palmetto
- Rocky Bluff Library, 6750 U.S. 301, Ellenton
- Supervisor of Elections Office, 600 301 Blvd. W.
- West Manatee Fire & Rescue, 6417 3rd Ave. W.
For more information on voting in Manatee County, visit the supervisor of elections office online.
Pasco County
Early voting in Pasco County begins on Saturday, March 5, and continues through Saturday, March 12. The hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the two Saturdays and one Sunday. Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the weekdays.
Locations that will be open for early voters in Pasco are:
- East Pasco Government Center, 14236 6th St., Dade City
- Hudson Library, 8012 Library Road, Hudson
- Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes
- New River Library, 34043 State Road 54, Zephyrhills
- Quail Hollow Country Club, 6225 Old Pasco Road, Wesley Chapel
- Regency Park Library, 9701 Little Road, New Port Richey
- South Holiday Library, 4649 Mile Stretch Drive, Holiday
- West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive, New Port Richey
For more information on early voting in Pasco County, visit the supervisor of elections office online.
Pinellas County
Early voting is open to Pinellas County voters Saturday, March 5 through Sunday, March 13. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Locations for early voting hours are Supervisor of Elections offices at the following locations:
- County Courthouse, 315 court St., Room 117, Clearwater
- Election Service Center, 13001 Starkey Road, Largo
- County Building, 501 First Ave. N., St. Petersburg
For more information on early voting in Pinellas County, visit the supervisor of elections office online.
Voters who miss out on the early opportunity to cast their ballots may do so on March 15, which is the regularly scheduled Presidential Preference Primary in Florida.
Image via Shutterstock
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