Today is Election Day.
Florida Republicans have a presidential preference primary on March 19, in which they can show support for former President Donald Trump, or express opposition by voting for one of the other Republicans on the ballot even though the rest of the field has dropped out of the race.
All voters — Democrats, Republicans and no party affiliation/independents — can vote in the four Broward and 22 Palm Beach County cities, towns and villages with nonpartisan elections.
In-person voting
Neighborhood polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Anyone who is in line at 7 p.m. is allowed to vote.
Unlike in-person early voting, which ended Sunday, people must vote in their assigned polling place on Election Day.
Some polling place locations have changed since the 2022 elections. Alison Novoa, director of strategic initiatives at the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office, advised people to check where to vote.
The latest voter identification cards have polling place locations, and people can also find the right place to vote on elections offices websites.
People need a current, valid photo ID with a signature to vote.
Mail ballots
Vote-by-mail ballots must be in the possession of the supervisor of elections office in the county where a voter lives by 7 p.m. Tuesday.
It’s too late to return a mail ballot via the Postal Service.
Postmarks don’t count for mail ballot returns. In every election, there are ballots that arrive late and can’t be counted under Florida law. In close elections there often have been enough uncounted ballots to potentially change the results.
There is a deadline exception: For elections involving federal offices, including the Republican presidential primary, an extra 10 days are allowed for military and overseas ballots to be returned and still get counted.
People who have a vote-by-mail ballot are allowed to vote at a neighborhood polling place on Election Day. But mail ballots may not be turned in at local polling stations.
Presidential primary
Seven Republicans are on the presidential preference primary ballot.
Trump, who’s locked up the nomination, is the only active candidate.
All the others — including Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina, former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey and former Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas — have dropped out.
All votes will be counted, even those cast for those who have dropped out. As a result, political analysts will examine the share of the vote that goes to non-Trump candidates.
Florida has closed primaries, which means someone who wants to participate must be a registered Republican. There is no Democratic presidential primary.
Local elections
Four Broward communities and 22 cities, towns and villages in Palm Beach County have elections for local offices that are nonpartisan and open to all voters regardless of party affiliation.
There are also referendums in three small pockets of unincorporated Palm Beach County in which voters are being asked if they want to be annexed into nearby cities.
All voters — Democrats, Republicans, no party affiliation independents, and members of minor parties — can participate in nonpartisan city, town and village elections.
Even though candidates don’t run with party labels, the Democratic and Republican party organizations in both Broward and Palm Beach counties have been active in municipal elections. They’ve been advising voters registered in their parties which candidates are Democrats and Republicans.
“There are many tight municipal races and our local candidates need your vote,” Palm Beach County Republican Chair Kevin Neal wrote in an email to party supporters on Monday. “Victories in the General Election in November start with victories in the Municipal elections in March. We have seen in recent years how important it is to win local elections.”
Information
Information and links to check your voting status, request vote-by-mail ballots, and find convenient early voting locations, are available online and by phone.
Broward County: browardvotes.gov, 954-357-8683.
Palm Beach County: votepalmbeach.gov, 561-656-6200.