Early voting starts Saturday for Florida primary. When and where to vote

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Early voting for Florida’s Aug. 18 primary election begins Saturday, Aug. 8, giving voters in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties a chance to cast their ballots before Election Day.

But the dates and hours aren’t identical in every county.

Palm Beach County will offer early voting for nine days, from Saturday, Aug. 8, through Sunday, Aug. 16, while Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties will hold early voting through Saturday, Aug. 15.

Election Day is Tuesday, Aug. 18, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Here’s what voters need to know.

Palm Beach County

Early voting runs Aug. 8 through Aug. 16, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.

Palm Beach County is extending early voting one day beyond Florida’s mandatory Aug. 8-15 period.

Voters can cast a ballot at any designated early-voting location in Palm Beach County during the early-voting period, rather than being limited to the polling place assigned to them for Election Day.

A list of early-voting locations and other election information is available from the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections.

Election dates and deadlines are available here.

The county’s voter dashboard also allows voters to check their registration information, Election Day polling place, sample ballot and vote-by-mail status.

The deadline to request that a vote-by-mail ballot be mailed was 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6. Completed vote-by-mail ballots must be received by the Supervisor of Elections by the applicable Election Day deadline.

Martin County

Early voting runs Aug. 8 through Aug. 15, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Martin County has three early-voting locations for the primary:

Elections Center

135 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Stuart

Elisabeth Lahti Library

15200 E. Thelma Waters Ave., Indiantown

Hobe Sound Library

10595 SE Federal Highway, Hobe Sound

Voters may use any of the county’s early-voting sites during the early-voting period.

Early-voting locations and information are available from the Martin County Supervisor of Elections.

The Supervisor of Elections homepage also includes links to voter status and sample ballots.

St. Lucie County

Early voting runs Aug. 8 through Aug. 15.

St. Lucie County voters can find current early-voting dates, locations and election information on the St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections website.

The county operates election offices and voting-related facilities in Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie, including Renaissance Business Park, the St. Lucie West South County Annex, the Walton Road County Administration Annex and Tradition.

Voters should check the Supervisor of Elections website before heading out for the latest list of early-voting locations and hours.

Indian River County

Early voting runs Aug. 8 through Aug. 15.

Indian River County voters may cast their ballots at any of the county’s designated early-voting locations.

The Supervisor of Elections’ early-voting page includes locations and hours.

Additional information about the Aug. 18 primary is also available.

Or go to the Indian River County Supervisor of Elections homepage.

Okeechobee County

Early voting runs Aug. 8 through Aug. 15.

Okeechobee County voters should check the Okeechobee County Supervisor of Elections website for early-voting hours, the voting location and other election information.

The Florida Division of Elections also publishes county early-voting information here.

What identification do I need?

Florida voters who cast a ballot in person should bring a valid form of identification containing a photograph and signature.

Acceptable forms can include a Florida driver’s license, Florida identification card, U.S. passport, military identification and several other forms authorized under state law.

If the photo identification does not also include a signature, a voter can provide a second accepted form of identification containing a signature.

A voter who does not have the required identification may still be permitted to cast a provisional ballot.

Can I vote at any early-voting location?

Yes — but the location must be within the county where you are registered to vote.

That is one of the major differences between early voting and Election Day voting.

During early voting, a registered voter can generally use any designated early-voting location in his or her county.

On Election Day, voters must go to their assigned precinct.

Who can vote in Florida’s primary?

Florida is a closed-primary state.

In most partisan primary contests, voters must be registered with the political party holding the primary to vote for that party’s candidates.

However, all registered voters may vote in nonpartisan contests that appear on their ballot. There also are circumstances under Florida law in which a partisan primary may be open to all voters if the winner would face no opposition in the general election.

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Voters can check their individualized sample ballot through their county Supervisor of Elections website to see which contests they are eligible to vote in.

What about vote-by-mail ballots?

The deadline to ask for a ballot to be mailed for the Aug. 18 primary was 5 p.m. Aug. 6.

Voters who already have a vote-by-mail ballot should not assume that putting it in the mail close to Election Day will be enough. Florida generally requires the ballot to be received, rather than merely postmarked, by the required Election Day deadline.

Counties also make secure ballot intake stations available at designated locations and times. Voters should check their county Supervisor of Elections website for locations, rules and hours before returning a mail ballot in person.

When is Election Day?

Florida’s 2026 primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 18.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Unlike early voting, voters who wait until Election Day must report to their assigned polling location.