Ready To Vote In The Primary? Here's What You Need To Know

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL -- Primary Day, Aug. 28, is just two weeks away.

Many poll watchers and political pundits consider the Primary more critical than the General Election on Nov. 6 because it narrows down the Republican and Democratic choices for office to a single candidate for the General Election on Nov. 6.

The big difference between a Primary and the General Election is the Primary is partisan. Voters must vote for the candidates in their declared party. Someone who is a member of the Republican party can't vote for a Democratic candidate, and vice versa. In fact, the ballot you receive will only contain the candidates in your party.

Those who are independent or have not declared a party affiliation can still vote for nonpartisan candidates in the Primary.

3 Ways To Vote

Vote At The Polls

Just a decade ago, voting meant heading out early to your assigned polling place, wading through a sea of sign-wielding supporters and then standing in line, sometimes for hours, to cast your ballot.

You can still vote this way, and many people prefer it. They enjoy standing in line, talking politics with neighbors. But there are other options as well.

Vote By Mail

Many voters have already received a ballot from the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office and have voted by mail. It's an easy and quick way to vote. If you want a Vote By Mail Ballot, you can contact the Supervisor of Elections Office no later than Aug. 22 to have one mailed to you, or you may pick up a mail ballot at an elections office.

Mail ballots must be received by the Supervisor of Elections no later than 7 p.m., Aug. 28.

Just don't forget to sign your Vote By Mail envelope before returning it. More than a few ballots have been disqualified because they weren't signed.

Make sure you have a current signature on file with the Supervisor of Elections Office. You can update your signature by completing a printed or online voter registration application. (An online application will add your most recent Florida Driver License or Florida State ID signature to your voter record.)

Be consistent when signing your mail ballot return envelope. Signatures are compared to those on file with the elections office.

You may mail your ballot back or deliver your ballot to a Supervisor of Elections ballot drop-off location.

If you mail the ballot back, make sure to allow plenty of time for it to be received. The Supervisor of Elections recommends that you allow at least a week for your mailed ballot to reach your elections office. If your ballot isn't in your county's elections office by 7 p.m. Election Day, it will not be counted.

Early Voting

As long as you are a Sarasota County resident, you can vote at any early voting site in the county from Aug. 18 to Aug. 25, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Early voting sites include:

· Supervisor of Elections Sarasota County Terrace Building

2001 Adams Lane. Sarasota

· Supervisor of Elections Biscayne Plaza

13640 Tamiami Trail. North Port

· Supervisor of Elections R.L. Anderson Administration Building Room 114

4000 Tamiami Trail S. Venice

· North Sarasota Library

2801 Newtown Blvd. Sarasota

· Westfield Sarasota Square Mall

8201 S Tamiami Trail. Sarasota

To avoid delays, bring one or two forms of identification that include your signature and photo. Without proper identification, you may still vote a provisional ballot, which will later be evaluated by a canvassing board for eligibility.

Any of the following forms of photo identification are acceptable:

* Florida Driver's License

* Florida ID Card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

* U.S. Passport

* Debit or credit Card

* Military ID

* Student ID

* Retirement center ID

* Neighborhood association ID

* Public assistance ID

* Veteran health ID (issued by VA)

* Concealed Weapon License (issued pursuant to s. 790.06)

* Government employee ID

Bring your marked sample ballot with you to use as a reference.

Early voting sites:

Is My Vote Safe?

Supervisors of Elections are required to use election equipment that meets the state's stringent certification standards, and to perform a Logic & Accuracy Test on the equipment before every election.

After the Logic & Accuracy Test, the equipment is sealed and kept under camera surveillance until it is deployed to voting locations.

Other checks and balances that ensure the accuracy and integrity of vote tabulation include:

- comparing the number of voter check-ins with the number of ballots scanned

- posting paper results tapes from each scanner on the doors of polling

places after voting has concluded

- performing a manual audit by randomly choosing a race and precincts and

hand-counting those ballots to verify reported results.

Image via Patch.com

(For more local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)