Florida's 2024 primary election is less than a month out. What to know for Escambia County

The deadline to register to vote in the upcoming Florida Primary Election has passed. Now it's time to look forward to the election on Aug. 20.

Florida is one of 10 states with closed primaries. That means voters can only vote for candidates who represent their registered party; Republicans must vote for Republicans, Democrats for Democrats, and non-party-affiliated voters must wait to cast their vote in the general election in November.

Here's what Escambia County voters need to know ahead of the Florida primary election on Aug. 20.

How to check if you're registered to vote in Florida

Checking your voter registration status in Florida is an easy process. Here’s how to do it:

• Visit the Department of State website
• Enter your first and last name and your birthday
• Accept the terms of service by checking the option that says you “understand and agree”
• Submit your information

After submitting your information, you’ll see a form that provides your voter registration information. At the bottom, you’ll see your registration status, which will say either active or inactive.

How does President Biden's dropping out of the race affect the Florida ballot?

Democrats were thrown a curve ball Sunday after President Joe Biden announced that he was ending his reelection bid . Less than 24 hours after his announcement, his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, procured enough of Florida's Democratic delegation to secure her place on Florida's ballot.

Harris will likely win enough Democratic delegates to become her party's nominee when the Democratic National Convention convenes next month.

How to see who is on your ballot?

Seeing who will be on your ballot couldn't be easier. Head over to Escambia County's sample ballots web tool website . Provide your first name, last name, date of birth and check the two verification boxes.

From here, you'll be shown all of the information you need to know to vote during the 2024 Florida primary election, including important dates, where your polling location is, request a mail ballot, request a registration update (the deadline for the primary election has passed) and a look at a sample ballot.

Clicking "view Sample Ballot" will bring up a PDF file of a sample ballot where you can see who you are eligible to vote for.

How to change your voter registration

The deadline to change your voter registration passed on Monday. Changes in party affiliation must be submitted 29 days before a primary election. You can still update other pieces of information, such as your address on file.

It's also recommended that you update your signature on file periodically, as it can change over time and potentially lead to ballot issues.

What type of ID can you bring to vote?

Florida allows 12 methods of ID that can be used to vote. To vote in person, you must bring a current and valid photo ID with a signature.

• Florida driver's license
• Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• United States passport
• Debit or credit card
• Military identification
• Student identification
• Retirement center identification
• Neighborhood association identification
• Public assistance identification
• Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
• License to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06
• Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality.

Three ways to vote in Florida

There are three ways to vote in Escambia County.

Early voting : All eligible voters can vote early at multiple locations throughout the county. Early voting begins at least 10 days prior to election day.

Vote-by-mail : You can request a mail-in ballot by visiting EscambiaVotes.gov . Vote-by-mail ballots must be requested 12 days prior to election day and must be received by 7 p.m. on election day. If you don't think your ballot will arrive by mail in time, you can hand deliver it.

Vote in person : You can always vote at your polling location, which can be found on your voter information card, sample ballot or EscambiaVotes.gov .

How to find your precinct and polling site to vote

You can find your precinct and polling site by heading over to EscambiaVotes.gov . Click on the "Find my precinct" button. You'll be taken to a new page where you'll enter your house number and street name.

This information can also be found on your voter information card.

When does early voting start in Escambia County?

Early voting for the 2024 Florida primary election starts on Aug. 10 and ends on Aug. 17. Each location will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Early voting for the 2024 presidential election will run from Oct. 26 to Nov. 2.

Escambia County early voting locations

• Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office, 213 Palafox Place, Second Floor, Pensacola
• Main Library, 239 Spring St., Pensacola
• Molino Community Center, 6450 Highway 95A, Molino
• Asbury Place at Cokesbury Church, 750 College Blvd., Pensacola
• Southwest Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway, Pensacola
• Bellview Library, 6425 Mobile Highway, Pensacola
• Escambia County Extension Services, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment
• Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto St., Pensacola
• UWF Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 11000 University Pkwy, Bldg. 82, Pensacola
• Billy G. Ward Courthouse, 7500 N. Century Blvd., Century

What time do polls open during the 2024 Florida primary election?

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day. If you're still in line to vote at 7 p.m., you will still be allowed to cast your vote.

What to expect when voting in person?

Never voted in person? No problem, here's what to expect in Escambia County:

• You'll enter the polling location.
• Present your identification using one of the options above. The election worker will use this to find your information.
• Once your identification has been confirmed, your signature will be verified against the ID provided using the signature pad.
• You'll then receive a ballot and a secrecy sleeve.
• Take both of those into the privacy booth or a ballot-marking device.
• Mark and review your selections before taking your ballot to the tabulator.
• Enter your ballot into the tabulator. This is the part where you get your "I Voted" sticker.

If you need any assistance, don't hesitate to ask any of the election workers on site.

Primary election key dates

• Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act voters: July 6
• Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to domestic voters: July 11 – 18
• Deadline to register to vote: July 22
• Early voting period (mandatory period): Aug. 10 – 17
• Deadline to request that ballot be mailed: Aug. 8
• Election Day: Aug. 20

General election key dates

• Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to UOCAVA voters: Sept. 21
• Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to domestic voters: Sept. 26 – Oct. 3
• Deadline to register to vote: Oct. 7
• Early voting period (mandatory period): Oct. 26 – Nov. 2
• Deadline to request that ballot be mailed: Oct. 24
• Election Day: Nov. 5

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Florida's 2024 primary election is less than a month out. What to know for Escambia County