Polk Co. Primary Election: Races From School Board To Governor

POLK COUNTY, FL — Polk County voters choose four school board seats in Tuesday's primary election, as well as governor and statehouse races.

There are 11 new precincts in Polk County this year so, if you are unsure of your precinct, click here to look it up or call the supervisor of elections office at 863-534-5888.

The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day.

These school board seats are on the ballot Tuesday:

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

Although turnout at primary elections is traditionally low throughout Florida, the primary is the only chance for Republicans and Democrats to choose their nominee for the general election, so the outcomes of primaries can be crucial, according to Ballotpedia.

Polk County has been red for as long as most residents can remember, and political prognosticators do not expect the county to suddenly turn blue this election year.

Its location, however, in the center of the state along the crucial Interstate 4 corridor, a pivotal area in Florida, makes it a county that's closely watched.

The I-4 corridor became a major political talking point in the early 2000s when the region appeared to mimic statewide results (a less than 0.5 percent of the statewide result). Political analysts believe this is because the corridor is a microcosm of the state — amix of suburbs, urban cores and rural areas.

However, in recent years, rural counties along the corridor, such as Polk, has experienced unprecedented growth that could tips the scales, especially with the county's growing population of independent voters.

In the last presidential election in 2020, 56.6 percent of the people voted for Republican and 42.2 percent voted Democrat with just 1.3 percent voting independent.

For the Aug. 23 primary, there are 173,409 registered Republicans, 149,566 registered Democrats and 127,256 voters with no party affiliation for a total of 458,210 registered voters, up from 452,202 registered voters in the 2020 primary.

Voter turnout for primary elections in Polk County has averaged between 20 and 25 percent. The turnout for the 2020 primary was 22.86 percent.

The majority of Polk voters choose to make their votes count during the general election. In 2020, 345,580 of the 471,241 registered voters cast ballots in the general election for a 73.33 percent turnout.

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.

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

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

Universal And Nonpartisan Elections
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