Hernando County residents who want a say in the August 18 primary are up against a firm cutoff: Monday. That is the last day to register to vote or change your party affiliation, according to local election officials. Completed voter registration applications must be signed, dated or postmarked, and returned to the Supervisor of Elections by the close of business on Monday. The deadline comes from Florida’s book-closing rule, which freezes the voter rolls 29 days before each election.
Supervisor of Elections Denise LaVancher laid out the details in a press release yesterday, which walks voters through how to register, update information and confirm their status, including both online registration and traditional paper forms. In the release via Hernando County Supervisor of Elections, LaVancher emphasized that applications have to reach the office by the July 20 deadline. The same reminder was also posted on the county’s Facebook page, Hernando County Government on Facebook.
State law sets the cutoff
Florida law requires voter registration books to close 29 days before any election, a schedule spelled out in Florida Statute 97.055. The Division of Elections defines book closing as the point that locks in who is eligible to vote in that specific contest, and notes that the day of the election is not counted when calculating the 29-day window. That is how July 20 becomes the final day for Hernando County residents to register for the August 18 primary.
How to register, vote early and request mail ballots
Voters can register online and verify their registration status through HernandoVotes.gov. Paper applications are also available at the Supervisor of Elections offices, public libraries and county or state assistance agencies. According to the supervisor’s office, vote-by-mail ballot requests must be made by August 6, and early voting will run from Saturday, August 8 through Saturday, August 15, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Five early voting locations are listed on the elections website. Residents who are unsure about their ballot style, precinct or polling place are encouraged to use the voter lookup tools on the site.
Legal note
Florida operates as a closed-primary state, which means only voters registered with a political party can vote to choose that party’s nominees in the primary. Voters registered with a minor party or with no party affiliation receive a nonpartisan ballot for the primary, according to the Division of Elections. Any party change or new registration submitted after the book-closing date will not take effect until future elections, so anyone planning to switch party affiliation for this primary must do it by July 20.
Questions can be directed to the Supervisor of Elections office at 352-754-4125 or by email at [email protected]. The supervisor’s offices are located at 16264 Spring Hill Drive in Brooksville and 7443 Forest Oaks Blvd in Spring Hill. The full county announcement is available in the news release from Hernando County Government.
