Election 2022: What you need to know about early voting in Duval County's general election

Hanna Holthaus, Florida Times-Union
·5 min read
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Early voting begins Oct. 24 for midterm elections in Duval County. In an election choosing the next governor, as well as an array of state and local offices, early voters have just under two weeks to cast their vote before election day Nov. 8.

Republicans turned out by just .27% more than Democratic voters for the primary election in August. Only 28.87% of the registered voters in Jacksonville turned out to vote, which is consistent with the 2018 midterm primary election turnout of 28.19%.

Early voters out-numbered election day voters in 2018 – mail-in and absentee ballots accounted for about 60% of the votes cast in Duval County.

As of Oct. 21, 28,348 ballots had been mailed-in.

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If you’re planning to vote early, here’s everything you need to know:

Ways to Vote

  • Early voting: Oct. 24 to Nov. 6. An early ballot can be cast at any open location. Find a list of early voting sites on the elections office website.

  • Vote by mail: Mail-in ballot requests must be received by Oct. 29 at 5 p.m. Requests can be made in person, by mail, fax, phone call to 904-255-8683 or through electronic ballot request on the elections office website.

  • Vote on election day: Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 8. Find your voting precinct using the elections online office Precinct Finder. Remaining mail-in ballots can only be returned at the Supervisor of Elections office.

What races are on the ballot?

The governor’s race has garnered much of the attention this election season, but other important state offices are also on the ballot.

In District 4, Republican state Sen. Aaron Bean faces Democrat LaShonda "L.J." Holloway in the race for Congress.

For state Senate, Sharmin Smith and Clay Yarborough will face off for District 4 – their race was not on the primary ballot because only one Democrat and one Republican were running, sending it straight to the general election. State Rep. Tracie Davis will run against Binod Kumar, a Republican, for state Senate in District 5.

Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon will face LaCiara Masline, who is without party affiliation, for state House District 13.

Locally, the county will vote on the runoff election for Jacksonville Sheriff between Lakesha Burton, a Democrat, and T.K. Waters, a Republican. The two have already participated in a public debate for the highly contested special election.

In City Council District 7, voters will vote in the runoff special election between Reggie Gaffney, Jr., the son of the current city council member, and Charles Barr, the only Republican to run in August.

Registered voters can find their personal sample ballots by typing in their first and last name, along with their birth date in the Supervisor of Elections website.

Northeast Florida races

Jacksonville sheriff: Race comes down to the wire between Lakesha Burton and T.K. Waters

U.S. House District 4: LaShonda Holloway tries to notch second upset win in race for Congress against Aaron Bean

Florida Senate District 4:: Political newcomer vs veteran legislator to represent Jacksonville

Florida Senate District 5: Race in Democrat-rich Jacksonville Senate district draws 3-term lawmaker, GOP 'outsider'

Florida House District 13: Democrat Angie Nixon to face non-party affiliated challenger

Florida House District 17: Newcomers Michael Anderson, Jessica Baker face off for seat

Jacksonville City Council: Special election candidates Gaffney, Barr prepare for runoff

Statewide races

Governor: Ex-Gov. Charlie Crist challenges DeSantis for his old job

U.S. Senate: Marco Rubio and Val Demings square off in Sunshine State

Agriculture commissioner: Wilton Simpson, Naomi Blemur vie for job

Attorney general: Aramis Ayala challenges Ashley Moody in ‘longshot’ bid

Chief financial officer: Adam Hattersley challenges incumbent Jimmy Patronis

Florida Amendment 1: Tax break on assessments for climate change, flooding

Florida Amendment 2: Abolish the Constitution Revision Commission

Florida Amendment 3: Increase homestead exemptions for teachers, first responders

When and where can I vote early?

Early voting begins Oct. 24 and lasts until Nov. 6. An early voting ballot can be cast at any open polling location.

There are currently 20 early voting locations set to open, including at the Supervisor of Elections Office. All will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. To find a polling place near you, visit the Supervisor of Elections website.

What do I need to bring to vote?

You must bring a current and signed photo identification card in order to vote. Below is a list of acceptable forms provided by the Duval County elections website:

  • Florida driver 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 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

  • A license to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06, F.S.

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

What is the deadline to get my mail-in ballot? When do I have to turn it in?

All mail-in ballots must be requested by Oct. 29 at 5 p.m. Requests can be made in person, by mail, fax, phone call to 904-255-8683 or through electronic ballot request on the elections office website.

Once you have your ballot, it will be accepted until 7 p.m. on election day, Nov. 8. The ballot can be mailed to the Supervisor of Elections office at 105 E. Monroe St. Otherwise, it can be dropped off at any secure polling location up to election day.

On election day, mail-in ballots can only be taken to the Supervisor of Elections office. A regular ballot can be cast, even if the voter had previously requested a mail-in ballot, on election day as long as the Supervisor of Elections office can confirm the mail-in ballot was not received.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: ELECTION 2022 in Duval: What you know about early voting