Primary election day in Lee County: Here's what you need to know
Early voting at a dozen locations in Lee County ended Saturday, but vote-by-mail ballots can still be returned, right up until election day.
Requests for vote-by-mail ballots had to be received by 5 p.m. on Aug. 13, but ballots can be turned in at the Lee County Supervisor of Elections office Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Tuesday, election day, ballots can be dropped off at offices of the Supervisor of Elections:
Melvin Morgan Constitutional Complex, 2480 Thompson Street, Fort Myers
Cape Coral Office, John Manning Government Center, 1039 S.E. Ninth Ave., Cape Coral
Lee County Election Center, 13180 South Cleveland Ave. (across from Bell Tower)
Bonita Springs Election Office, Bonita Commons 25987 S. Tamiami Trail #105
Many voters in Lee County have demonstrated that they prefer mail balloting over getting in line at the dozen early voting centers.
Almost 94,000 advance votes have been cast. That is about 18% of the 510,796 eligible voters, with 87% of those voting early preferring vote-by-mail over the early voting destinations set up in the county.
The first mail ballots were received by the election supervisor's office July 11. Early voting in person started more than a month later.
Vicki Collins, spokeswoman for the election office, said the vast majority of ballots in 2020 came from people who voted before the day of the presidential election.
"In 2020, 80% of our voters voted before election day," Collins said. "That was by mail-in and early voting."
What can I expect on the ballot?
Many elections in Lee County have no primary contests on the ballot and the election will be decided in November.
County commission candidates run in five separate districts but are elected by the voters across the county.
In Lee County, there is no opposition in the Republican primary for two seats, District 2 and District 4. There is a primary election in District 5 to fill the vacancy left by the death of Commissioner Frank Mann.
In that race a Republican appointee named to the post by the governor is seeking to serve the remaining two years on Mann's term and faces two opponents in the Republican primary. A Democratic candidate qualified to run on the November general election ballot closing the Tuesday primary in District 5 to Republicans only.
The position of clerk of courts is also on the ballot for all voters in the primary. That election is to fill the remaining two years of the former clerk who retired in February.
Two candidates, both Republicans, have emerged and with no write-in candidate running, the Republican primary is decisive and open to all voters.
Elsewhere on the ballot, Democrats have primary contests for Congress from District 19 and for governor, attorney general and commissioner of agriculture. Republican contests include primaries for member of Congress in District 19 and for state representative from District 77.
Lee County will have school board primaries in districts 1, 4, 5 and 6.
In Cape Coral, where city council members are elected by all voters regardless of district lines, there are contested primaries in districts 1 and 4.
In Fort Myers, there is a non-partisan primary contest with four candidates in Ward 3.
Can non-members of a party vote in a party primary?
Usually not.
A political party primary becomes open to all voters only if all of the candidates in that primary are members of the same party and there is no opponent qualified as a candidate in the general election.
But if an official write-in candidate runs in the November election, only party members can vote in the August primary.
The deadline for changing party affiliation in Florida was on July 25.
How can I vote on election day?
Elections 2022: What you need to know for primary voting in Lee County
If you are voting in-person on election day, voters need to be in line by 7 p.m. at their designated precinct. Polls open at 7 a.m.
To find your precinct, visit lee.vote. A map list of precincts and voting places can be found at Lee County Elections office.
In order to vote, residents must have registered to vote in Florida by July 25.
Where can I find my polling place in Lee County?
Poll locations were indicated in a notice sent each voter by the Lee County Election Supervisor. Voters with questions can call 239-LEE-VOTE (239-533-8683).
Who's on the ballot?
For a full list of local candidates, visit lee.vote or go to news-press.com/news/electionpolitics/.
Where can I learn more about candidates?
Elections 2022: What you need to know
Clerk of Courts: Lee County Clerk of Courts race to mark milestones for a job with few office holders
Lee County Commission District 4: Cecil Pendergrass, Brian Hamman facing write-in foes in Lee commission election
Lee County Commission District 5: Primary election determines Republican candidate in elecreplace Frank Mann as Lee County District 5 commissioner
Lee County School Board District 1: Four candidates are facing off
Lee County School Board District 4: Incumbent faces three challengers
Lee County School Board District 5: Gittens facing challenge from Persons
Lee County School Board District 6: Three candidates are running
State Senate 28: Passidomo, unopposed, has big plans as next Florida Senate president
Election 2022: Southwest Florida state candidates focus on water quality, education, guns
Election 2022: Lehigh Acres gets new voice in Tallahassee with new House District 77
Cape Coral District 1 election: Four 'first-timers' making run for seat
Cape Coral District 4 election: Incumbent Jennifer Nelson facing two challengers
Cape Coral District 6 election: Incumbent Keith Long facing newcomer Wayne Hecht
Cape Coral mayor's race: John Gunter, Thomas Shadrach vying for job
Ward 1 Fort Myers: council candidates call for more economic development
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 voting
