Will Biden's withdrawal from race complicate elections, printing of ballots locally?

President Joe Biden's decision not to seek a second-term may have sent shockwaves through the nation, but for local election officials, it's not expected to affect preparations for the August primaries or November general election.

Supervisors of elections in Indian River, Martin and St. Lucie counties cannot place a Democratic presidential or vice presidential nominee on the ballot until one is selected at the Democratic National Committee — Aug. 19-22 in Chicago — rendering any scare on a local level moot.

"The president's decision really does not affect our office at all," said Indian River County Supervisor of Election Leslie Rossway Swan. "We can't begin laying out the ballot for the general election until we have the results from the primary election."

Voters across Florida will first cast their votes in the Aug. 20 primaries. But since Republicans already voted for president in the March 19 presidential primary, and there was no Democratic presidential primary, Biden’s decision will have “no impact whatsoever” on officials' ability to get ballots printed and distributed, agreed Gertrude Walker, St. Lucie County supervisor of elections.

Election officials must wait to receive the names of the regional and federal nominees for the Nov. 5 general election from the Florida Division of Elections. The Division of Elections must certify and send the primary election results to election offices by Aug. 29, according to Vicki Davis, Martin County supervisor of elections .

Only then can election officials begin making preparations for the November election.

Planning for local elections, though, must be finalized by each county's supervisor of elections by Aug. 28.

Upcoming deadlines

Aug. 8 is the last day voters can request a vote-by-mail ballot. The supervisors of elections offices must receive completed mail-in-ballots no later than when polls close, 7 p.m. Aug. 20.

Early voting begins 8 a.m. Aug. 10 and ends 5 p.m. Aug. 17.

Early voting locations are:

Indian River County

• Sebastian City Hall, 1225 Main St., Sebastian
• Indian River County Main Library, 1600 21st St., Vero Beach
• Indian River County Supervisor of Elections Office, 4375 43rd Ave., Vero Beach

Martin County

• Elisabeth Lahti Library, 15200 E. Thelma Waters Ave., Indiantown
• Martin County Supervisor of Elections Office, 135 SE. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Stuart

St. Lucie County

• Renaissance Business Park, 4132 Okeechobee Road, Fort Pierce
• Zora Neale Hurston Library, 3008 Avenue D, Fort Pierce
• Indian River State College Veterans Center of Excellence, 500 N.W. California Blvd., Port St. Lucie
• MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center, 9221 S.E. Event Center Place, Port St. Lucie
• Paula A. Lewis Library, 2950 SW. Rosser Blvd., Port St. Lucie
• Port St. Lucie Community Center, 2195 S.E. Airoso Blvd., Port St. Lucie
• Robert E. Minsky Gym, 750 SW. Darwin Blvd., Port St. Lucie

Once early voting begins, voters can pick up mail-in ballots from the elections offices only if they have an emergency and with an affidavit. A person can pick up a mail-in ballot from the elections office for a family member or friend with an affidavit, also starting Aug. 10.

Midnight Monday is the deadline for individuals to register to vote or change their party affiliation in advance of the primary. For the general election, that deadline is Oct. 7.

Staff writers Wicker Perlis and Keith Burbank contributed to this article.

Nick Slater is TCPalm's Indian River County Watchdog reporter. You can reach him at Nick.Slater@tcpalm.com and 224-830-2875.