ISSUE / 12 / APRIL 2024

The Primary Election is scheduled for August 20th, and all registered voters can participate in their respective party's primary. You can find further information about Florida's Closed Primary laws in this newsletter. It's also a great opportunity to ensure that your voter registration details are current and accurate. Did you know there are only...

70 days before Vote-By-Mail ballots are mailed to Uniformed and Overseas Citizens.

78 days before Vote-By-Mail ballots are mailed domestically.

89 days before the July 22nd voter registration deadline to register or change party affiliation.

103 days before Early Voting begins, Monday, August 5th.

106 days before the August 8th deadline to request a Vote-By-Mail ballot for the Primary.

118 days before the Primary Election, Tuesday, August 20th.

Find answers to many of your election questions in our Frequently Asked Questions section by clicking here: bit.ly/3vuzbNd. We truly appreciate your support as an engaged and well-informed member of our community!

Leah Valenti

Supervisor of Elections

Charlotte County

P.S. For assistance with any of your voter-related questions, please call our office at 941-833-5400 or email SOE@SOECharlotteCountyFL.gov.

BE ELECTION READY!!!

Verify your voter registration details here: bit.ly/3uVSFKy.

Do you need to submit a new voter registration to:

Change your party affiliation.
Update your signature.
Update your name, if you've recently changed it.
Update your address if you've moved within the county.
Request a Voter Information Card.

If you answered yes to any of the above, click here to get started: bit.ly/3T4bGE6

LIST MAINTENANCE AND OFFICIAL ELECTION MAIL

The voter registration list in Charlotte County is maintained through regular list maintenance, which is mandated by Section 98.065, Florida Statutes.

Florida Statutes require Supervisors of Elections to conduct comprehensive annual list maintenance at least once each year beginning no later than April 1st. It must be completed 90 days before the date of any federal election.

We conduct these list maintenance activities according to schedule and also process deceased matches regularly, along with information received that matches voter records for those persons who are ineligible for a variety of statutory reasons, which include felony convictions or those who have been adjudicated mentally incapacitated in respect to voting. These match files are processed under Section 98.075, Florida Statutes, and the outlined procedures for removal.

Conducting list maintenance generates official election mail. It's important citizens know this mail will be noted on the outside envelope as such (see photo above). When checking official election mail, be sure to look for the logo shown here.

If you are unsure about the legitimacy of any election mail you receive, you may view them online or please do not hesitate to call us at 941-833-5400 or via email at soe@soecharlottecountyfl.gov.

Charlotte County election mail viewed here: bit.ly/3NAzv2P

FLORIDA IS A CLOSED PRIMARY STATE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE VOTER?

What is a Closed Primary?

Florida is a closed primary state. If you wish to vote in a partisan Primary Election, you must be a registered voter in the party for which the primary is being held. The Primary Election is August 20th. You have 29 days before an election to change your party affiliation to vote in the upcoming primary as either a registered Democrat or Repbulican. This is referred to as Book Closing or Registration Deadline. For the Primary Election, this deadline is July 22nd, 2024.

There are 12 states in the United States which use a strictly closed Primary Election process. For more information concerning the law in Florida, please refer to section 97.055, Florida Statutes.

How do I change Party Affiliation?

A party change can be made by visiting one of our three offices (listed at the bottom of this publication) and using the Florida Voter Registration Application or Florida's Online Voter Registration System at RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov.

What is a Universal Primary Contest?

There are times when all registered voters can vote in a Primary Election, regardless of which major or minor political party they are registered or even if they are registered without a specific party affiliation. During these elections, the race is considered to be a Universal Primary Contest:

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 (i.e. no write-in candidates have qualified), then all registered voters can vote for any of the candidates for that office in the Primary Election.

When races for nonpartisan (i.e., free from party affiliation) judicial and school board offices, nonpartisan special districts, or local referendum questions are on the Primary Election ballot, then all registered voters, including those without party affiliation are entitled to vote for those races on the ballot.

During a General Election, all registered voters receive the same ballot and may vote for any candidate or question on the ballot. If there are write-in candidates who have qualified for a particular office, a space will be left on the ballot where their names can be written.

Please refer to section 101.021, Florida statute, for more information.

To find out more regarding Florida’s primary policies (F.S. 101.021), click here.

RENEW YOUR VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT REQUEST

This is a reminder for all Florida voters! The Vote-By-Mail (VBM) ballot request deadline for the Primary election is August 8th. Statewide, all VBM ballot requests expired November 8, 2022.

Some Florida voters have thought this VBM renewal affected their voter registration. This is not the case. No registered voter needs to complete a Voter Registration application to renew their Vote-By-Mail ballot request. The following links will guide you to take the proper actions to manage your election-related issues.

Renew your Vote-By-Mail Ballot request:
bit.ly/47FhzMr
Check your Voter Registration status:
bit.ly/3uVSFKy

If you have any questions, please contact our office a 941-833-5400. Once your VBM is renewed, your request is valid through December 31, 2024.

DID YOU KNOW...

One of the responsibilities of the Supervisor of Elections Office is to assist candidates in their pre-qualifying and qualifying process.

The qualifying period for Federal, Judicial, and Public Defender candidates is from noon on April 22nd to noon on April 26th.

Pre-qualifying for Statewide, Multi-County, County, Constitutional, District, and Political Party Executive Committee candidates begins on May 13th, 2024. Their qualifying period will take place from noon on June 10th to noon on June 14th.

View Announced and Qualified candidates here: bit.ly/44efN43