Early voting begins in Florida for Presidential Preference Primary

Early voting begins in Central Florida

The polls opened on Saturday in multiple Central Florida counties for early voting in the Presidential Preference Primary.

ORLANDO, Fla. - The polls opened on Saturday in multiple Central Florida counties for early voting in the Presidential Preference Primary.

Among those are Brevard, Flagler, Marion, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia counties.

Not everyone in Florida can vote in this election on March 19 because Florida is a closed-primary state. That means you must be registered with a political party to vote in that party's presidential primary.

Who is eligible to vote in Florida

In order to be eligible to vote in Florida, you must:

Be a citizen of the United States of America
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 to register to vote in Florida

You can determine if you are registered to vote on the Florida Department of State website. Just enter your first name, last name, and birthdate into the database. If you are registered to vote, it will tell you your voter identification number, date of registration, party affiliation, voter status, and the county you are registered in. If you are not registered to vote, no record of your voter registration will be presented.

Below are three ways you can choose to register to vote:

Online – You can register at RegistertoVoteFlorida.gov. The application must be submitted by Feb. 20 by midnight. You will need your Florida driver's license or ID card issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles and the last four digits of your social security number.
In-person – If you register in person, you must get to an office before it closes.
By mail – If you're registering by mail, the envelope must be postmarked by Feb. 20.

If you need further assistance regarding registering to vote or your voter registration, please call the Voter Assistance Hotline at 1-866-308-6739. It operates between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Important 2024 election dates in Florida

Presidential Preference Primary

Early Voting: March 9-16 (or as early as March 4, depending on county)
Election Day: March 19, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Florida Primary

Request Vote-by-Mail Ballot deadline (stateside military & overseas voters): July 6
Voter Registration deadline: July 22
Request Vote-by-Mail Ballot deadline (domestic voters): Aug. 8
Early Voting: Aug. 10-17 (or as early as Aug. 5, depending on county)
Election Day: August 20, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Florida General Election

Request Vote-by-Mail Ballot deadline (stateside military & overseas voters): Sept. 21
Voter Registration deadline: Oct. 7
Request Vote-by-Mail Ballot deadline (domestic voters): Oct. 24
Early Voting: Oct. 26 - Nov. 2 (or as early as Oct. 21, depending on county)
Election Day: November 5, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.