The term “voting” can cause a host of visual associations to come to mind: a booth stationed outside the local grocery store surrounded by people in clipboards; a plethora of signs littering government property; or even blue or red pins attached to shirts. For some, voting is as much a necessity as breathing. For others, it’s just a day off. No matter how you view voting, it is an essential part to running the American democratic system.
Before candidates can get to a November general election, they must be voted through a primary election. Currently, Broward County is holding primaries for the November general elections. Early voting for the primary has ended, but Aug. 28 is the official primary election day. This year, the general election is Nov. 6. There are a few things to keep in mind before heading out to vote.
Register
Prior to visiting your local voting booth, register to vote. Your voter’s registration card is the key to being able to vote in Florida. If you don’t remember whether you have registered already, head to RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov for more information.
For students who have moved to Florida from out of state, contact your local supervisor of elections office. To vote in local elections and on state laws, you must have a Florida voter’s registration, which also requires you to provide proof of residency, such as a Florida’s driver’s license or identification card. The deadline to register to vote is 29 days prior than the election. Registration is no longer open before the primary elections, but you can still register before Oct. 9.
Consult your voting guide
If you are registered to vote with a Florida address, check your mailbox. For each election, the Office of the Broward County Supervisor of Elections sends out a sample ballot including candidates, local laws, and state laws. If you have not received one, be sure to visit www.browardsoe.org, and click on “2018 Primary Election Sample Ballot.” Download it or print it, and review each section of laws and candidates.
The ballot is divided into three different sections, for Democratic, nonpartisan and Republican ballots. From there, you can find all the information you need to know, even including candidates running for nonpartisan government positions. Each law, whether local or statewide has a brief overview.
Research issues and candidates
Keeping track of all the candidates and laws can be difficult, but there are resources available to help navigate all the issues. Ballotpedia.org provides information on local, state and national issues and candidates. For further information on candidates, consult the Sun Sentinel’s endorsement guide. While the endorsement guide is based on the opinions of their editorial board, read through their explanations and judge for yourself whether you agree with their positions.
Vote!
Now you’re about ready to go vote. But first, make sure you’re in the right place. Occasionally, new voter’s registration cards are sent out with new voting locations. Don’t forget to bring the all important voter’s registration card, and your newfound voting guide. Once you know your choices, your time at the voting booth can be drastically reduced.
