Be A More Informed Voter in the August Primaries By Sandy Parker, Publisher Sparker’s Soapbox

Knowing who you elect and how local elections work is the first step in being an informed voter. Collier County’s primary elections will be held on August 18, and vote-by-mail ballots will be sent out beginning July 7. To vote by mail, you must request a ballot by August 6; Florida law requires a new request each election year. While the slate of candidates for each office will not be final until June 12, the end of the candidate qualifying period, we do know which offices will be on the ballot and how our elections work, so it’s not too soon to start thinking about how to vote.

First: Know Your Voting Districts
The offices that will be on your ballot depend on the voting districts you live in, so first, learn them. Visit the Collier County Supervisor of Elections website, colliervotes.gov, click “Check My Voter Info,” and enter your residence address.

What’s on the August Primary Ballot
The August primary ballot includes two types of contests: Partisan Races — in which party-registered voters nominate their party’s candidate for the November general election. These are closed primaries in which only Democrats may vote in Democratic contests and only Republicans in Republican contests. The candidate with the most votes wins the party’s nomination and advances to the November general election.

Nonpartisan Races — where all registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, may vote. If any candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in August, they are elected outright and will not appear on the November ballot. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the top two vote-getters will face off in November.

In addition, some voters may see referendum questions on their ballot. For example, voters in the Greater Naples Fire Rescue District will see one. Other referendum questions may also be added.

In Partisan Races, Party Affiliation Matters
Since Florida is a closed primary state, you must decide which party’s primary you want to vote in and be registered with it by July 20. Your party registration will apply to all partisan races on the ballot; you cannot pick and choose. In some cases, if all candidates are from the same party, all voters may be able to vote in that race.

For Republican and Democratic Voters
These partisan offices will be on the August primary ballot if more than one candidate qualifies: U.S. Senator, Representative in Congress (Districts 18, 19, 26), Governor, Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, Commissioner of Agriculture, State Attorney (Circuit 20), Public Defender (Circuit 20), State Senator (District 28), State Representative (Districts 80, 81, 82), and County Commissioner (Districts 2, 4).

For All Voters
All voters, regardless of party affiliation, will see these nonpartisan offices on the August ballot if more than one candidate qualifies: School Board Member (Districts 1, 3, 5), Circuit Judge (Circuit 20; several positions), and County Judge (three positions).

Make Your Vote Count
Voting is both a right and a privilege. By casting your ballot as an informed voter, you strengthen our democracy and help shape the future of Collier County. Get started now and be an informed voter this August.

Sandy Parker is the founder and publisher of Sparker’s Soapbox, a nonpartisan civic information resource for Collier County voters. Learn more at sparkers-soapbox.com.