Q: Are there any important dates St. Johns County voters should know for the Presidential Preference Primary Election?
A: Yes. The Presidential Preference Primary Election is on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The deadline to register to vote or change your party affiliation is Feb. 20, 2024. Early voting will be conducted Saturday, March 9 through Saturday, March 16, which includes two Saturdays and one Sunday.
Q: Who will be eligible to vote in the Presidential Preference Primary Election (PPP)?
A: Only registered Republican voters will be eligible to vote in the PPP. The Democratic party only submitted one candidate to the Secretary of State, and therefore, Democratic voters will not be participating in the PPP. Due to Florida’s closed primary laws, voters who are registered with no party affiliation (NPA) or a minor political party are not eligible to vote in the Republican Primary.
Q: What candidates will be on my Presidential Preference Primary Election ballot?
A: The Republican presidential candidate list (in alphabetical order by last name) is Ryan L. Binkley, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki R. Haley, Asa Hutchinson, Vivek Ramaswamy, Donald J. Trump.
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. is the only Democratic candidate for president, and therefore, there will not be a Democratic ballot in the PPP.
Q: I would like to vote-by-mail. When is the deadline to request a ballot to be mailed?
A: The last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot to be mailed is March 7, 2024. Remember, due to state law changes, vote-by-mail requests expire after each general election. Even if you have voted by mail in past elections, you still need to make a new request for 2024.
Q: What should I be doing to prepare for the Presidential Preference Primary Election?
A: Check your voter status on our website, www.votesjc.gov and make sure that you are registered and that your voter information is current, including your address. Make a voting plan: In St. Johns County, there’s three ways to vote. Will you be voting on Election Day, early, or voting by mail?
Lastly, know where to go for trusted election information. There is a lot of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation that gets shared around election time, and your Supervisor of Elections is the trusted source of information for Florida elections. Visit our website at www.votesjc.gov, or call the Elections Office with any questions you may have. For updates, subscribe to my monthly newsletter and follow the St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections Office on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Q: What is the best way for our readers to contact you?
A: Readers can email me at voakes@votesjc.gov or call me at (904) 823-2238. Our website, www.votesjc.gov also has a wealth of information.
