More than 4 million Floridians have already cast their ballots for the November election before October is even over.
And Duval County has one of the highest turnouts in the state so far with nearly 30% of eligible voters casting ballots.
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More than 12,000 people have voted at the Pablo Creek Regional Library early voting site alone -- it’s been one of the busiest in the county.
Republicans have a slight lead with 82,000 ballots cast, while Democrats have returned 77,000 and third-party and unaffiliated voters have cast 31,000.
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These numbers reflect the split of how the voters are registered, not necessarily how they are voting or for whom they are voting.
If you still have a mail-in ballot, now is the time to get it turned in. The United States Postal Service recommends sending back mail-in ballots at least one week before the Election Day deadline.
Mail-in ballots need to be received, regardless of postmark, by the Supervisor of Elections' office no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day.
You can also drop off mail-in ballots at the secure drop box at your Supervisor of Elections Office.
Once a mail-in ballot is sent, voters can track the status of their vote.
In Duval County, voters can visit the Supervisor of Elections website and click “My Voter Status” to see if a ballot has been received. Each county has a similar process.
If a voter receives a mail-in ballot but changes their mind and wants to vote in person, there is an option. The state says that voters should bring the ballot, marked or unmarked, to the polls.
If they don’t have the ballot, the elections office will need to confirm that the ballot has not already been sent or received. If it has not been received, voters can vote a regular ballot.
In-person early voting, which is now available in all Northeast Florida counties, ends Saturday in Baker, Clay, Columbia, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns and Union counties. Alachua, Bradford and Duval counties will end early voting on Sunday.
Florida counties must offer at least eight days of early voting, and during early voting, you can vote at any early voting site. On Election Day, however, you MUST vote at your designated precinct.
For Duval County, you can check out wait times at each early voting location here: www.duvalelections.com/.
Damage left from Hurricanes Helene and Milton could impact statewide turnout. That is why Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order allowing counties to make changes because of Milton.
The order shortens the time frame to open new voting centers and allows state employees to take paid leave to fill in as poll workers on Election Day.
Early voting locations
Eligible voters can vote at any early voting location within their county.
Each Northeast Florida county’s planned early voting dates are listed below. For locations and hours, click the link for each county, or use the map below.
- Alachua County: Oct. 21 - Nov. 3
- Baker County: Oct. 24 - Nov. 2
- Bradford County: Oct. 21 - Nov. 3
- Clay County: Oct. 22 - Nov. 2
- Columbia County: Oct. 21 - Nov. 2
- Duval County: Oct. 21 - Nov. 3
- Flagler County: Oct. 21 - Nov. 2
- Nassau County: Oct. 23 - Nov. 2
- Putnam County: Oct. 21 - Nov. 2
- St. Johns County: Oct. 21 - Nov. 2
- Union County: Oct. 26 - Nov. 2
What to bring
You must bring one or two forms of valid and current identification that include your signature and photo.
Acceptable forms of ID include:
- Florida Driver License
- Florida ID Card (issued by DHSMV)
- U.S. Passport
- Debit or Credit Card
- Military ID
- Student ID
- Retirement Center ID
- Neighborhood Association ID
- Public Assistance ID
- Veteran Health ID (issued by the US Department of Veterans Affairs)
- Concealed Weapon License (issued pursuant to F.S. 790.06)
- Employee ID card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality.
If you show up without an ID, you can cast a “provisional” ballot, which is then evaluated by a canvassing board that decides if the ballot is eligible.