In case you’ve had your head buried in the sand, election season is upon us.
We’re not here to tell you who or what to vote for, but instead, we want to help you through the voting process itself.
Editor’s note: Keep your eyes out for slight changes to this information in the coming weeks. In the wake of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, a recently signed executive order allows supervisors of elections to make “modest but reasonable accommodations” to increase voting access.
What’s on the ballot?
Other than the presidency, voters across Florida will decide several key races. Senator Rick Scott is facing a challenge from Democratic opponent Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a former representative of Florida’s 26th congressional district.
Closer to home, Republican Anna Paulina Luna is fighting to keep her seat in Florida’s 13th congressional district — covering a large portion of Pinellas County. Whitney Fox, whose name you may recognize from her former role as communications director for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, is looking to unseat Luna.
There are also six amendments facing Floridian voters, described in the following verbiage by the Tampa Bay Times:
- Amendment 1: Partisan Election of Members of District School Boards
- Amendment 2: Right to Fish and Hunt
- Amendment 3: Adult Personal Use of Marijuana
- Amendment 4: Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion
- Amendment 5: Annual Adjustments to the Value of Certain Homestead Exemptions
- Amendment 6: Repeal of Public Campaign Financing Requirement
Voters can also look at sample ballots before heading to the polls. Both Hillsborough County and Pinellas County have resources for voters to see what the ballot will look like ahead of the big decisions.
If you want to vote early
Early voting starts Monday, Oct. 21 in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. But how does it work?
Registered voters in Hillsborough County have until Sunday, Nov. 3 to cast an early in-person vote at any of the 27 polling stations open every day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Remember to bring one or two forms of ID which contain a photo and a signature, like a driver’s license or passport.
The same goes for Pinellas County’s seven early voting stations, also open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The governor’s recent hurricane-related executive order grants Pinellas’ early voters the chance to early vote right up to election day on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Worried about waiting in line? Live wait times are available for Hillsborough and Pinellas at each voting location once voting begins.
If you want a mail-in ballot, the deadline in Hillsborough County and Pinellas County is Friday, Oct. 24.
If you want to vote on Election Day
Voting on Election Day itself has different restrictions. The main difference? You must vote at the polling place assigned to your precinct. If you don’t, your vote won’t count. There are resources for Hillsborough County voters to find their polling place, and the same goes for those on the other side of the Bay in Pinellas County.
Heads up: Some voting locations have changed in Pinellas County due to storm damage. Our friends at 10 Tampa Bay rounded up the info.
If you’re in line by 7 p.m. in either county, the law says you are allowed to vote. Arriving after this time will see you turned away.
Any questions about how to vote? Ask away, and we’ll try to answer.
