Guest Column | General Election: Important upcoming dates

By St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections Vicky Oakes

Now that the August Primary Election is behind us, it’s time to focus on the quickly approaching November 8 General Election. It’s not too early to begin preparing. Here are some important dates:

• Sept. 24^: Vote-by-mail ballots mailed to overseas and military voters
• Sept. 29: Vote-by-mail ballots mailed to domestic voters who request them
• Oct. 11: Last day to register to vote
• Oct. 26 – Nov. 5: Early Voting
• Nov. 8^: Election Day with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Eight early voting locations will be open from 8 a.m.to 6 p.m. daily in St. Johns County. Locations will be announced soon. Early voting dates include two Saturdays and a Sunday, so you can vote at your convenience.

Because the General Election is an open election, party affiliation does not matter. All voters receive the same ballots, all candidates and parties are listed on the ballot, and voters may vote for whomever they choose. Several retention questions regarding the Supreme Court Justices and the 5^th District Court of Appeal Judges will appear on the ballot. There will also be three constitutional amendments on the ballot and one local referendum. Sample ballots will be mailed to all voters approximately three weeks prior to the election, so you will have plenty of time to study your ballot and prepare to vote. 

For those of you who missed the opportunity to vote in the August Primary but plan to vote at your precinct on Election Day, it’s important you remember things have changed since the 2020 General Election. Due to the 2020 Census and the 2021 redistricting process, St. Johns County has new voting districts, new precincts, and some new polling locations. If you plan to vote on Election Day, be sure to verify your polling location as it may have changed.

My staff and I look forward to serving you and we will make it easy for you to vote. For more registration and election information visit our website at www.votesjc.gov or call the office at (904) 823-2238 for assistance with any questions.