Voting on Election Day? Here's what you need to know in SWFL

Voting on Election Day? Here's what you need to know, SWFL.

For those who are voting in person, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8. Any voters waiting in line at 7 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot; if you arrive at a polling locations later than 7 p.m., you will not be able to vote.

You must bring a current and valid photo ID with signature. Acceptable forms of identification include a Florida drivers’ license or state ID card, a U.S. passport, a concealed weapon license, military or student ID, or a veteran health ID card issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, among others.

Check the links included below for your specific voting area to find polling places and other Election Day information:

Election information resources for voters in Charlotte, Lee and Sarasota counties include:

• Charlotte County Supervisor of Election contact information
  
  • 226 Taylor Street, Unit 120
    Punta Gorda, FL 33950
  • Phone: 941-833-5400
  • Fax: 941-833-5422
  • Email: soe@soecharlottecountyfl.gov
  • Web Address: https://www.soecharlottecountyfl.gov
• Vote-by-mail ballots:
  Completed Vote-by-Mail ballots must be returned in person on Election Day at at any office of the Charlotte County Supervisor of Elections, from 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
  Fax: 941-833-5422
  
• Charlotte County election day voting locations

• Lee County Supervisor of Election contact information
  
  • 2480 Thompson Street
    Fort Myers, FL 33901
  • Phone: 239-533-8683
  • Fax: 239-533-6310
  • Email: elections@lee.vote
  • Web Address: https://www.lee.vote
  • Facebook: @LeeCountyElections
  • Twitter Handle: @Lee_Elections
• Vote-by-mail ballots:
  Completed Vote-by-Mail ballots must be returned in person on Election Day at any office of the Lee County Supervisor of Elections, from 8:30 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.
  
• Lee County election day voting locations
• Check Lee County voting location wait times

UPDATE Nov. 7 @ 2:07 p.m.
A new polling location has been added for Lee County voters. On Tuesday, November 8, from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm, Lee County voters may also vote at:

LOUISE DU PONT CROWNINSHIELD COMMUNITY HOUSE
240 BANYAN ST, BOCA GRANDE, FL 33921

One of the most important things to know for Lee County voters is that there are only 13 voting locations throughout the county due to the impacts from Hurricane Ian.

Because of this change, voters in Lee can cast their ballots at any of the 13 available voting sites on Election Day, regardless of their assigned precinct.

Braun, Michael

Polling locations will be using touchscreen marking devices and not tabulators, but a bubble-in ballot will be available upon request.

• Sarasota County Supervisor of Election contact information
  
  • 101 S. Washington Blvd.
    Sarasota, FL 34236
  • Phone: 941-861-8600
  • Fax: 941-861-8609
  • Email: rturner@sarasotavotes.gov
  • Web Address: https://www.sarasotavotes.gov
  • Facebook: @sarasotaelections
  • Twitter Handle: @sarasotavotes

• Vote-by-mail ballots:
  Completed Vote-by-Mail ballots must be returned in person on Election Day at any Sarasota County Elections Office from 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

  Sarasota Elections Office Locations
  Terrace Building, 2001 Adams Lane, Sarasota
  R.L. Anderson Admin Center, 4000 Tamiami Trail S, Rm. 114, Venice
  Biscayne Plaza, 13640 Tamiami Trail, North Port
  

• Sarasota County Voter Resources
• Sarasota County election day voting locations

For other counties in Southwest Florida:

• Collier County Supervisor of Elections contact information
  
  • Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Building
  • 3750 Enterprise Avenue
  • Naples, FL., 34104
  • Email: Supervisor.Elections@CollierVotes.gov
  • Phone: (239) 252-VOTE (8683)
  • Fax: (239) 774-9468
  • Facebook: CollierVotes
  • Twitter Handle: @CollierVotes

• Vote-by-mail ballots:
  Completed Vote-by-Mail ballots must be returned to the Supervisor of Elections office by 7 p.m. November 8. Voted ballots may be hand-delivered to the main office located at 3750 Enterprise Ave, Naples FL 34104 until 7 p.m. or to one of the satellite offices until 6 p.m.:

  North Collier Government Services Center, 2335 Orange Blossom Dr, Naples FL 34109
  Heritage Bay Government Services Center, 15450 Collier Blvd, Naples FL 34120

  Voted mail ballots will not be accepted at polling sites or at any other location. Voters who received a ballot in the mail and decide to vote in person should bring their ballot to their precinct to be canceled and may vote a regular ballot.
  

• Collier County Voter Resources
• Collier County election day voting locations

Other county Super of Elections Offices:
Hendry County Supervisor of Elections
DeSoto County Supervisor of Elections
Highlands County Supervisor of Elections
Glades County Supervisor of Elections
Monroe County Supervisor of Elections
Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections
Broward County Supervisor of Elections
Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections

Tom Bayles

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WGCU

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Changes in areas affected by Hurricane Ian: The Florida Department of State’s top priority is ensuring that there are ample opportunities for Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian to be able to cast ballots safely and securely in the General Election on November 8.

On October 13, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 22-234 as pertains to Charlotte, Lee and Sarasota Counties in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

The Governor’s Executive Order includes provisions authorizing the Supervisors of Elections in Charlotte, Lee, and Sarasota counties to:

• Extend the number of days for early voting and designate additional early voting locations. The early voting period began as early as October 24, and extends through Election Day.
   
• Allowed voters in Charlotte, Lee, and Sarasota counties to request by phone that their vote-by-mail (VBM) ballot be mailed to an address other than their address of record. Voters must still provide an appropriate form of identification in the same manner as absent uniform service and overseas voters.
   
• Designate and provide notice of the locations for secure ballot intake stations and relocate and consolidate polling locations as necessary.
  
• Increase the pool of eligible poll workers who may serve within Charlotte, Lee, and Sarasota counties by making eligible any poll workers previously trained for the 2020 election cycle and thereafter and by encouraging state employees to serve as poll workers in these counties.

All state agencies were ordered to render aid and assistance as needed by the Supervisors of Elections in Charlotte, Lee, and Sarasota counties.

Secretary of State Cord Byrd and the Department of State assessed the need for these provisions based on extensive outreach to Florida’s Supervisors of Elections:

• Secretary Byrd and the Division of Elections leadership conducted continuous outreach and assessed the needs and readiness of counties in or around Hurricane Ian’s path, including: Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Dixie, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Taylor, and Volusia counties. Secretary Byrd also personally visited the hardest hit areas, including Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Lee, Hardee, and Sarasota counties to meet with their Supervisors of Elections in-person.

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