Tampa Bay Times launches its primary voter guide

The presidential contest between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump is far from the only election that matters this year.

The Aug. 20 primary will shape your state and local communities for years to come.

The Tampa Bay Times is here to help you make an informed choice at the polls. More than a dozen reporters worked for weeks on a guide to the major candidates on ballots in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco.

We published it online. You can find it at tampabay.com/voterguide. Read it to learn about who is running for the state Legislature, county commissions, school boards, judgeships and more. Voters don’t need to be registered with a political party to cast ballots in some races.

We polled more than 100 people running in more than 30 races on some of the biggest issues facing our communities. Candidates lay out priorities and explain, in their own words, stances on inflation, abortion, taxes, school closures, the Rays stadium and more.

Democratic and Republican voters will choose who will compete in the general election for the U.S. Senate seat held by Rick Scott. Pinellas residents will decide whether a candidate running on allegations of election fraud should take over their county’s elections office and whether the school board should have a more right-leaning majority. Hillsborough residents will pick a new public defender.

If you fill out your ballot at home, use our guide for reference. If you vote in person, you can bring it to your polling place on your phone, or print out an easy-to-read document.

Keep checking in at tampabay.com for trusted, timely and accurate reporting on the races that affect our community. We’ll keep you informed through the Aug. 20 primary and beyond during this consequential election year.

And come back in the fall, when we publish another guide for the general election.

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