Voter Registration Deadline Approaching In Manatee County

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — Those who want to cast a ballot in the Nov. 8 general and local elections must register to vote by Tuesday’s deadline, according to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office.

Voters will have a say in statewide elections, including the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races, as well as local contests.

In Florida, residents must be registered for at least 29 days before they can vote in an election.

Those who aren’t already registered to vote in Florida can do so online at RegistertoVoteFlorida.gov by Oct. 11.

Paper voter registration applications can also be found at county elections offices, libraries, military recruitment offices and public assistance offices. They must be completed, signed and returned in person to county elections offices or postmarked by Oct. 11.

To register to vote in the Sunshine State, you must:

• be a United States citizen.
• be a legal Florida resident.
• be 18 years old (you may pre-register to vote if you are 16 years old, though you can’t vote until you’re 18)
• not be adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or any other state, without having the right to vote restored.
• not have been convicted of a felony, without your civil rights having been restored.
• provide a current and valid Florida driver’s license number or Florida identification card number or the last four digits of your social security number.

Other important dates to remember this election season include:

• Oct. 24 through Nov. 6, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. – early voting takes place
• Oct. 29, 5 p.m. – deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot

Registered voters in Manatee County can find their local polling stations on Election Day and sample ballots here.