Mailboxes around Pinellas County are about to get busy. Domestic vote-by-mail ballots started going out Tuesday as local officials ramp up for the Aug. 18 primary, with the latest batch landing just after military and overseas voters got their ballots earlier this month.
According to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, ballots for military and overseas voters were mailed July 2, and domestic ballots began leaving the elections office July 14. Voters who want a ballot sent to them have until 5 p.m. on Aug. 6 to put in a request. Because Florida runs closed primaries, anyone planning to switch party affiliation needs to do it by July 20. Sample ballots and precinct details are available on the county elections website.
Key Deadlines And How To Return Your Ballot
Under state rules, completed vote-by-mail ballots must arrive at the supervisor of elections office by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day to count, and voters can fix a missing or mismatched signature until 5 p.m. on the second day after the election, as outlined by the Florida Department of State. Ballots can be returned through the mail or delivered in person, and supervisors provide secure ballot-intake stations and drop boxes at some early-voting sites and elections offices. Officials strongly suggest giving the post office extra time and using online ballot-tracking tools so no one is sweating the deadline at 6:59 p.m.
Local Races To Watch
This primary is not just a warm-up for November. The Pinellas ballot features the St. Petersburg mayoral race, City Council District 6, two Clearwater council seats, and an Oldsmar council seat, along with several countywide nonpartisan contests, according to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections. A handful of contests, including State Senate District 16, State Representative District 62, and County Commission District 4, are universal-primary races that will be decided outright on Aug. 18 and will not appear on the November ballot. That setup gives early and mail ballots extra punch in shaping local outcomes.
County election officials told Florida Politics they expect to send more than 165,000 domestic ballots in the initial bulk mailing, on top of the 2,522 military and overseas ballots that went out in early July. Supervisor Julie Marcus told the outlet that "Florida voters have three ways to vote, including the secure method of voting by mail."
Voters planning to cast a ballot by mail are urged to request one before the Aug. 6 cutoff and to track it through county ballot-status tools. The Division of Elections recommends mailing voted ballots well ahead of Election Day and provides guidance on tracking and signature-cure procedures. Voters can also hand-deliver completed ballots to supervisor of elections offices or to secure intake stations during early voting, and supervisors will notify voters if there is a signature issue that needs to be cured. For specific office hours, secure return sites, and sample ballots, residents can check the Pinellas Supervisor of Elections website or call the office for help.
