Early voting for Lee County primary election: Here's what you need to know

Early voting for Lee County's primary election began Saturday.

The primary election is set for Tuesday, Aug. 23. Winners of the primary election will move on to the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 8, if they face a challenger.

Vicki Collins, communications director for the Lee County Supervisor of Elections Office, said so far they haven't received a lot of mail-in ballots, however they expect more to come in next week.

"In 2020, 80% of our voters voted before election day," Collins said. "That was by mail in and early voting."

The News-Press gathered information from the Lee County Supervisor of Elections Office on everything you need to know about voting locally:

How can I vote early?

A municipal clerk hands out "I Voted" stickers to residents after voting at the Milwaukee Public Library in the Bay View neighborhood on Tuesday August 9, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wis.
A municipal clerk hands out "I Voted" stickers to residents after voting at the Milwaukee Public Library in the Bay View neighborhood on Tuesday August 9, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wis.

Elections 2022: What you need to know for primary voting in Lee County

Early voting for 2022 Florida Primary: What you need to know in Lee County

You can either vote early in-person from Aug. 13 to Aug. 20 or fill out a vote-by-mail ballot.

If you are voting in-person on election day, voters need to be in line by 7 p.m. at their designated precinct. To find your precinct, visit lee.vote.

In order to participate in this election, residents must have registered to vote in Florida by July 25, 2022.

Where can I go for early voting in Lee County?

There are 12 locations throughout Lee County where you can go for early voting. All locations are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Aug. 13 through Aug. 20.

Wait times can be found online at lee.vote.

Bonita Springs early voting

Lee County Elections Branch Office, 25987 S. Tamiami Trail.

Cape Coral early voting

Cape Coral - Lee County Public Library, 921 SW 39th Terrace.

Lee County Elections Branch Office, 1039 SE 9th Ave.

Northwest Regional Library, 519 Chiquita Blvd.

Estero early voting

Estero Recreation Center, 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd.

Fort Myers early voting

Dr. Carrie D. Robinson Center, 2990 Edison Ave.

Fort Myers Regional Library, 15290 Bass Road.

Lee County Elections Center, 13180 S. Cleveland Ave.

Lehigh Acres early voting

East County Regional Library, 881 Gunnery Road.

Veterans Park Recreation Center, 55 Homestead Road.

North Fort Myers early voting

North Fort Myers Recreation Center, 2000 N. Recreation Parkway

Do I need to bring anything to early voting?

A photo ID that is not expired and has your signature.

Who's on the ballot?

For a full list of local candidates, visit lee.vote.

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Who can I vote for?

Florida is a closed primary election state. In primary elections, registered voters can only vote for their registered party’s candidates in a partisan race on the ballot. Additionally, in a primary election, all registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, can vote on any issue, nonpartisan race, and race where a candidate faces no opposition in the general election.

Can I still get a Vote-by-Mail Ballot?

The last day to request a Vote-by-Mail Ballot to be mailed is 5 p.m., Aug. 13.

When is the last day I can mail my ballot?

The United States Postal Service recommends all ballots be mailed at least one week before the due date.

How many mail-in ballots have been returned?

As of Aug. 11, 57,318 of 510,796 eligible voters had submitted their mail-in ballots.

Nikki Ross covers education for the Fort Myers News-Press and Naples Daily News. She can be reached at NRoss@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @nikkiinreallife.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Lee County primary election: What you need to know about early voting