Get ready for August: Check your registration information, Voter Information Card

Kim A. Barton
·3 min read

With less than two months until the primary election, it is time for Alachua County voters to make sure they are ready to participate! Election Day is Aug. 23, so here are some important things to keep in mind over the next few weeks.

Check your Voter Information Card

Redistricting and reprecincting are now complete, so registered Alachua County voters will receive new voter information cards in the mail. There could be changes to your districts and assigned polling place, so please review the card carefully. The cards contain important voter registration information, including your name, party affiliation, the address we have on file and your assigned polling place address.

Voter information cards do not serve as ID at polling places. Please contact the Supervisor of Elections Office if you have any questions.

Deadlines for voter registration, party affiliation changes

The deadline to register to vote for the August primary election is July 25. If you are eligible to vote but haven’t yet registered, you must do so by July 25 to be able to vote in the August primary.

You can update your registration record at any time, but we highly encourage you to do so well in advance of Election Day to ensure you are fully prepared to cast your ballot. You can register or update your voter registration online at RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov, in person at the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office (515 N. Main St. Gainesville, Florida 32601), or by mail. The voter registration application is also available on our website, www.VoteAlachua.gov.

People stand in line to register to vote at the Miami-Dade County Elections Department in Doral.
People stand in line to register to vote at the Miami-Dade County Elections Department in Doral.

Remember, Florida is a closed primary state, meaning that only voters registered with a political party can vote for that party's candidates in partisan races. Any voter who wishes to change their party affiliation must do so by the July 25 deadline for the change to take effect in this year's primary election. You can update your party affiliation by following the steps to update your voter registration.

There is something on the ballot for everyone to vote on this August, as all registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, can vote in nonpartisan races.

Now is the time to check your voter registration status! Check today by visiting www.VoteAlachua.gov and clicking “My Registration Status.”

Vote-by-mail requests

The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot for the primary election is Aug.13 at 5 p.m. Requests for vote-by-mail ballots can be made online at www.VoteAlachua.gov by clicking “Sign Up to Vote By Mail," in-person at the Supervisor of Elections Office, by phone (352-374-5252), by fax (352) 374-5264 and by mail. The vote-by-mail request form is available on the vote-by-mail page at www.VoteAlachua.gov.

The Supervisor of Elections Office must receive your completed vote-by-mail ballot by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Aug. 23.

A election worker sorts vote-by-mail ballots at the Miami-Dade County Board of Elections in Doral.
A election worker sorts vote-by-mail ballots at the Miami-Dade County Board of Elections in Doral.

Early voting

The early voting period for the primary election will be between Aug. 13 and Aug. 20. Early voting locations will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during that time.

Our office has a new early voting location: the Alachua County Agriculture and Equestrian Center, located at 23100 W Newberry Rd, Newberry, Florida 32669. Registered Alachua County voters can vote at any of the seven early voting locations during the early voting period.

Please visit www.VoteAlachua.gov or call our office at 352-374-5252 if you have any questions about early voting or the upcoming elections.

We look forward to serving you this election season!

Kim A. Barton is Alachua County supervisor of elections.

Join the conversation

Share your opinions by sending a letter to the editor (up to 200 words) to letters@gainesville.com. Letters must include the writer's full name and city of residence. Additional guidelines for submitting letters and longer guest columns can be found at bit.ly/sunopinionguidelines.


Journalism matters. Your support matters.

Get a digital subscription to the Gainesville Sun. Includes must-see content on Gainesville.com and Gatorsports.com, breaking news and updates on all your devices, and access to the eEdition. Visit www.gainesville.com/subscribenow to sign up.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Kim A. Barton: Alachua County voters, get ready for August election