TAMPA, Fla. — Election Day is finally here. You’re ready to hit the polls and vote. Make sure you have a game plan: who, when and where.
Voting on Nov. 3 is not like what you saw other voters doing during early voting. All polls will open at 7 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m. You can vote if you are standing in line by 7 p.m.
You must vote at your assigned polling location. You can find your voting location in the precinct finder on each Supervisor of Elections’ website.
Supervisors in Tampa Bay say if polling locations from 2016 or 2018 were adjusted because of the pandemic, they have already reached out by mail. That information also is posted online, reflected in your online voter information lookup and -- just in case -- they will also have posted signage at the old polling locations on Election Day with directions to where you can vote.
“Many voters don't vote in the earlier elections, the presidential preference primary in March or the August primary, so they may not have voted since November 2018," Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards said. "So, I want to alert those folks that about 18 of our polling locations have changed since 2018 and those were all, every single one of them, was because of COVID and the fact that some of our community partners just don't want to host voters this year.”
In addition to finding your polling location in the precinct finder, you can also find a link to a sample ballot. Print that out and bring it with you.
In this election, with a two-card/three-page ballot, you will want to know who you are voting for to save yourself time.
Edwards says nationwide, the best time to vote is between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. if your schedule allows. Just remember 7 p.m. is when you have to be standing in line.
“If you are in line at the strike of seven, you have the right to vote, and every precinct will accommodate you all over the state, just stay in line there. Now, if you drive up on two wheels at one minute, after seven, I'm afraid you're out of luck,” she said.
Bring your photo identification and signature identification with you. The easiest is your driver’s license. However, if you do not have that, you can use something else like a passport, student or military ID or even a bank or debit card that has a photo.
If you do not have a photo ID, you can vote. You will be asked to vote provisional. Your ballot goes inside of the envelope, you sign it and if you are an eligible voter and your signature matches what the supervisor has on file, then the canvassing board will accept it.
The provisional envelope will be opened, with your ballot scanned and counted.
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