Plan to vote in Florida Primary Election? Here are deadlines you need to know

With the final day of the Republican National Convention here and the Democratic National Convention coming in August, an election year like no other in recent memory finally seems to be close to a conclusion.

But it's not over yet, and there are plenty of questions out there, including the big one: Will President Joe Biden be the Democratic Party's nominee?

Days after an attempt on his life, former President Donald Trump accepted the Republican Party's nomination and has announced Ohio Sen. JD Vance. as his running mate.

➤ Who is JD Vance?

July 18 marks the fourth and final day of the RNC, with Trump scheduled to speak. Thursday's theme will be "Make America Great Once Again."

➤ RNC, July 18: When will Donald Trump speak?

If you plan to vote in August and November, here is what you need to know about election deadlines.

Deadlines for Florida Primary Election 2024

A primary election is held 11 weeks before the general election. The primary election is for the purpose of nominating party nominees to be voted for in the general election to fill a national, state, county, or district office, said the Florida Division of Elections.

• July 18: Deadline for supervisors of elections to mail vote-by-mail ballots to those who have requested them so far.

• July 22: Deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation.

• Aug. 8: Deadline for voters to request a vote-by-mail ballot.

• Aug. 10-17: Early voting period.

• Aug. 20: Primary Election Day.

Check your vote-by-mail ballot information and voter status online

Select your county to access ballot information and voting status:

• Alachua

• Baker

• Bay

• Bradford

• Brevard

• Broward

• Calhoun

• Charlotte

• Citrus

• Clay

• Collier

• Columbia

• DeSoto

• Dixie

• Duval

• Escambia

• Flagler

• Franklin

• Gadsden

• Gilchrist

• Glades

• Gulf

• Hamilton

• Hardee

• Hendry

• Hernando

• Highlands

• Hillsborough

• Holmes

• Indian River

• Jackson

• Jefferson

• Lafayette

• Lake

• Lee

• Leon

• Levy

• Liberty

• Madison

• Manatee

• Marion

• Martin

• Miami-Dade

• Monroe

• Nassau

• Okaloosa

• Okeechobee

• Orange

• Osceola

• Palm Beach

• Pasco

• Pinellas

• Polk

• Putnam

• Santa Rosa

• Sarasota

• Seminole

• St. Johns

• St. Lucie

• Sumter

• Suwannee

• Taylor

• Union

• Volusia

• Wakulla

• Walton

• Washington

Florida General Election Day 2024

A general election is held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year, according to the the Florida Division of Elections.

• Sept. 21: Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voters.

• Sept. 26-Oct. 3: Deadline for supervisors of election to mail vote-by-mail ballots to those who have requested them so far.

• Oct. 7: Deadline to register to vote.

• Oct. 24: Deadline to request that ballot be mailed.

• Oct. 26-Nov. 2: Early voting period.

• Nov. 5: Election Day.

Can you register to vote online in Florida?

You can register to vote online in Florida.

You will need:

• Your Florida driver license or Florida identification card.

• The issued date of your Florida driver license or Florida ID card.

• The last four digits of your Social Security number.

Who is eligible to vote in Florida?

To register to vote in Florida, you must:

• Be a citizen of the United States of America; only U.S. citizens have the right to register or vote in Florida.

• Be a legal resident of Florida.

• Be a legal resident of the county in which you seek to be registered.

• Be at least 16 years old to preregister or at least 18 years old to register and vote.

• Not be a person who has been adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or any other state without having the right to vote restored.

• Not be a person convicted of a felony without having your right to vote restored.

How come you can't vote for everyone during the primary election?

Florida is a closed primary state. Only voters who are registered members of a political party may vote for candidates or nominees for that office in a primary election. In fact, Republicans and Democrats actually receive different ballots.

There are two exceptions when all registered voters can vote for candidates during a primary election, no matter what their political party may be, according to the Florida Division of Elections:

• If all the candidates for an office have the same party affiliation and the winner of the primary election will not face any opposition in the general election, then all registered voters can vote for any of the candidates for that office in the primary election.

• If races for nonpartisan offices — those free from any party affiliation, such as judicial and school board offices, nonpartisan special districts or local referendum questions — are on the primary election ballot, then all registered voters may vote for those races.

At a general election, all registered voters receive the same ballot and may vote for any candidate or question on the ballot.

Why isn't Donald Trump or Joe Biden on the Florida primary ballot?

Voters will see Trump, as the Republican candidate for president, face off against President Joe Biden — or whoever is chosen by the Democratic National Convention in August — during the general election in November.

➤ Matt Gaetz at RNC

Also on the general election ballot will be presidential candidates from the minor political parties.

Latest on Trump assassination attempt

The investigation continues into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Bulter, Pennsylvania, July 13, in which one attendee was shot and killed and two others were seriously injured.

The gunman — identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was shot and killed by Secret Service agents. His motive is not yet known. Details continue to emerge.

➤ Trump rally shooting victims: Pennsylvania firefighter killed, 2 local residents wounded

➤ Nursing aide turned sniper: Thomas Crooks' mysterious plot to kill Trump

When is the Democratic National Convention?

Delegates for the Democratic Party will travel to the Democratic National Convention to officially nominate the Democratic presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the 2024 election. Delegates from each state and U.S. territory will vote based on their primary election results.

The 2024 DNC will be held in Chicago Aug. 19-22.

As of now, President Joe Biden is the expected presidential nominee, although he is facing mounting pressure to step aside.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida primary, general election dates, deadlines. How register vote