Alachua County voter's guide to the 2022 primary election

Staff Reports
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Alachua County voters walk past a sign as they go to vote at the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office earlier this year. The deadline is Aug. 13 to request mail-in-ballots for the Aug. 23 primary election and early voting for that election will be held from [Brad McClenny/The Gainesville Sun]
Alachua County voters walk past a sign as they go to vote at the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office earlier this year. The deadline is Aug. 13 to request mail-in-ballots for the Aug. 23 primary election and early voting for that election will be held from [Brad McClenny/The Gainesville Sun]

To help you vote with confidence, below is a collection of links to information about the races and candidates on the August 23 ballot.

Important dates

  • Aug. 13: First day of early voting

  • Aug. 21: Last day of early voting

  • Aug. 23: Primary Election Day, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Early voting

The following early voting sites are open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Gainesville unless otherwise noted.

  • Supervisor of Elections Office: 515 N. Main St.

  • Millhopper Branch Library: 3145 NW 43rd St.

  • Tower Road Branch Library: 3020 SW 75th St.

  • Orange Heights Baptist Church: 16700 FL-26, Hawthorne.

  • Legacy Park Multipurpose Center: 15400 Peggy Road, Alachua.

  • J. Wayne Reitz Union: 655 Reitz Union Drive, UF Campus.

  • Alachua County Agriculture and Equestrian Center: 23100 W. Newberry Road, Newberry.

The General Election will be held on Nov. 8.

Early Voting: Souls go to the polls

Marion County Supervisor of Elections Wesley Willcox shows the notice on the front of a mail-in ballot that the voter needs to make sure to sign and date it on the back to make the vote valid, at the Marion County Supervisor of Elections office in Ocala, Florida in this 2020 file photo.
Marion County Supervisor of Elections Wesley Willcox shows the notice on the front of a mail-in ballot that the voter needs to make sure to sign and date it on the back to make the vote valid, at the Marion County Supervisor of Elections office in Ocala, Florida in this 2020 file photo.

How to vote by mail

Return voted ballot by mail at least one week in advance of Aug. 23 or put voted ballot into Secure Ballot Intake Station (AKA drop box) at an Early Voting site (during voting hours) or at the Elections Office (during office hours).

Vote-by-Mail ballots must be received by the Supervisor of Elections office no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.

Election 2022: How to vote in Florida under DeSantis' new law. What's changed?

Voter guides to races and candidates

Gainesville City Commission:

Board of County Commissioners:

Alachua County School Board:

Florida State Legislature:

U.S. Congress

Ryan Smolchek, a University of Florida student, puts on a "I Voted Early," sticker after early voting at the Reitz Union on the UF campus, in Gainesville Fla., Oct. 19, 2020. Alachua County has six early voting locations that are open daily 9am to 6pm.
Ryan Smolchek, a University of Florida student, puts on a "I Voted Early," sticker after early voting at the Reitz Union on the UF campus, in Gainesville Fla., Oct. 19, 2020. Alachua County has six early voting locations that are open daily 9am to 6pm.

Who can vote in Florida?

Any Florida resident who is a citizen of the United States, 18 and older, who has not been adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in any state without having the right restored and has not been convicted of a felony without civil rights being restored.

Does Florida require an ID to vote?

Yes, you must provide a current and valid ID with a photo and signature. Any one of the following is acceptable:

  • Florida driver’s license

  • Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

  • United States passport

  • Debit or credit card

  • Military identification

  • Student identification

  • Retirement center identification

  • Neighborhood association identification

  • Public assistance identification

  • Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs

  • License to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06

  • Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality.

  • If you don't have valid ID you still will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot, which will be counted provided you are eligible to vote, you voted in the correct precinct, and your signature matches the one on file.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Voter's guide to the 2022 primary election in Alachua County