Final Chance To Vote Early In Polk Primary Is Saturday

POLK COUNTY, FL — With options to vote early or cast a ballot by mail, many of Polk County's 149,566 registered Democrats, 173,409 registered Republicans and 127,256 voters with no party affiliation have already cast their ballots for the Aug. 23 primary election.

For voters who still want to avoid the lines and hassles on voting day, early voting sites will remain open Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at nine locations in Polk County.

• Polk Street Community Center: 1255 Polk St., Bartow
• Polk County Sheriff's Northeast District Office, 1100 Dunson Road, Davenport
• Haines City Library, 111 N 6th St.
• Polk County Government Center, 930 E. Parker St., Lakeland
• Simpson Park Community Center, 1725 Martin L. King Jr. Ave., Lakeland
• Tourist Club, 205 N 5th St., Lake Wales
• Mulberry Civic Center, 901 NE 5th St.
• Poinciana Community Fitness Center, 397 Marigold Ave., Kissimmee
• Gil Jones Northeast Polk County Government Center, 3425 Lake Alfred Road, Winter Haven

Voters who still wish to vote by mail can pick up a vote-by-mail ballot at the Polk County Supervisor of Elections Office until Monday. However, the ballot must be submitted by 7 p.m. on primary day, Aug. 23, so don't try to mail your ballot. It will never reach the Polk County Supervisor of Elections Office in time.

Instead, drop off vote-by-mail ballots at Election Headquarters at 250 S. Broadway Ave., Bartow, or the Elections Operations Center at 70 Florida Citrus Blvd., Winter Haven, to ensure that your ballot is counted.

If you returned your vote by mail ballot to the Supervisor of Elections, but forgot to sign the ballot, your ballot will not count unless you complete and return the Vote by Mail Cure Affidavit no later than 5 p.m. on the second day after the election.

If you requested a vote-by-mail ballot but decide to vote at your precinct on election day, take the mail ballot with you and turn it in at the precinct.

How To Vote On Election Day

Florida law requires that you vote in the precinct where you live. Your voter information card shows the precinct, polling place and voting districts for your address. If you move within the county, you must vote in your new precinct.

The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day. If you are unsure of your correct precinct, click here to look it up or call the supervisor of elections office at 863-534-5888.

Voters going to the polls will be asked to show two forms of identification: one is signature identification and the second is photo identification.

The identification can be in one form, such as a Florida driver's license, which includes a signature and a photo. Or, it can be two separate forms of identification, such as an employee-issued ID card with a photo, and a credit card with a signature.

If you do not have two forms of identification, you must cast a provisional ballot. Your ballot will not be counted at the polls, but will be sealed inside a certificate envelope and submitted to the canvassing board after the polls close. The canvassing board will review the information provided on the certificate envelope and determine whether the ballot may be counted.

Types of acceptable photo ID include:

• Florida Driver's License
• Florida Identification Card
• U.S. Passport
• Military ID Card
• Debit/Credit Cards
• Student ID Card
• Retirement Center ID Card
• Neighborhood Association ID Card
• Public assistance identification
• A license to carry a concealed weapon or firearm
• Veteran Health identification card issued by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
• Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the federal, state, county or a municipality.

Who's On The Primary Ballot?

The primary election include races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Florida governor, Florida attorney general, state senators and representatives, the Polk County School Board and Polk County judges.

Florida is a closed primary state, meaning only voters registered with a party may vote in that party’s primary elections.

If only Republicans or only Democrats are registered to run for a seat, however, that race becomes a universal primary contest, allowing any registered voter to cast a ballot in the race.

Therefore, in this year's primary, all registers voters in Polk County are eligible to vote in the Republican primary elections for Florida House District 50 and 51

Democratic Ballot

United States Senator

• Ricardo De La Fuente
• Val Demings
• Brian Rush
• William Sanchez

U.S. House Representative District 16

• Gavin Brown
• Alan M. Cohn
• Eddie Geller
• Cesar Ramirez
• William VanHorn

Governor And Lieutenant Governor

• Charlie Crist and Cadance Daniel
• Nicole "Nikki" Fried and Robert L. Willis

Attorney General

• Aramis Ayala
• Jim Lewis
• Daniel Uhlfelder

Commissioner of Agriculture

• Naomi Esther Blemur
• J.R. Gaillot
• Ryan Morales

State Representative District 50

• Jennifer Canady - Republican
• Phillip Walker - Republican

State Representative District 51

• William "Bill" Olson - Republican
• Josie Tomkow - Republican

County Court Judge Group 8

• John Flynn
• Ruth Moracen Knight
• Carmalita Lall
• Adam David Patton
• Tara Wheat

School Board District 3

• Sarah Fortney
• Rick Nolte

School Board District 5

• Terry L. Clark
• Kay Fields

School Board District 6

• Sara Estelle Jones
• Justin Sharpless

School Board District 7

• Lisa Miller
• Dell Quary
• Jill Sessions

Republican Ballot

U.S. House District 9

• Jose Castillo
• Scotty Moore
• Adianis Morales
• Sergio E. Ortiz

U.S. House District 11

• Laura Loomer
• Gavriel E. Soriano
• Daniel Webster

U.S. House District 15

• Demetries "Commander" Grimes
• Laurel Lee
• Kevin "Mac" McGovern
• Kelli Stargel
• Jackie Toledo

U.S. House District 18

• Scott Franklin
• Kenneth "Kenny" James Hartpence
• Jennifer Raybon
• Wendy June Schmeling
• Eduardo "Eddie" G. Tarazona

Commissioner of Agriculture

• James W. Shaw
• Wilton Simpson

State Representative District 50

• Jennifer Canady
• Phillip Walker

State Representative District 51

• William "Bill" Olson
• Josie Tomkow

County Court Judge Group 8

• John Flynn
• Ruth Moracen Knight
• Carmalita Lall
• Adam David Patton
• Tara Wheat

School Board District 3

• Sarah Fortney
• Rick Nolte

School Board District 5

• Terry L. Clark
• Kay Fields

School Board District 6

• Sara Estelle Jones
• Justin Sharpless

School Board District 7

• Lisa Miller
• Dell Quary
• Jill Sessions

No Party Affiliation

State Representative District 50

• Jennifer Canady
• Phillip Walker

State Representative District 51

• William "Bill" Olson
• Josie Tomkow

County Court Judge Group 8

• John Flynn
• Ruth Moracen Knight
• Carmalita Lall
• Adam David Patton
• Tara Wheat

School Board District 3

• Sarah Fortney
• Rick Nolte

School Board District 5

• Terry L. Clark
• Kay Fields

School Board District 6

• Sara Estelle Jones
• Justin Sharpless

School Board District 7

• Lisa Miller
• Dell Quary
• Jill Sessions