Have you registered to vote yet? If not, that’s OK! The entire process can be overwhelming, and many students won’t sign up because of this; they get confused with all the news and vague instructions. In fact, 30-65% of eligible voters do not submit a ballot because they think their vote either doesn’t matter or don’t know how. This problem has a straightforward fix: by educating yourself!
However, political education is rare. Many find themselves having to go online for any information at all, and it can get confusing when so many different resources pop up. This article will serve as your basic introduction to voting: you will understand political terms and receive crucial resources. You’ll be perfectly prepared to vote!
First, let’s go over some basic facts and terms that you’ll need to understand when voting. You may have heard the term “primary” thrown around often recently: a “primary election” is the vote that decides who will represent each party in the presidential election. These primaries are held throughout the year leading up to the presidential election. In this year’s case, the primaries are from March 19th to August 20th.
Second, as a Florida resident, you must know you can not vote in a primary outside your registered party. This limitation, “closed-party voting,” changes with every state. The idea behind this inconvenience is to prevent opposing party members from deciding who represents you in the election. Closed-party voting is important to understand when you register to vote because if you are unsure of your presidential candidate’s beliefs, or find out something that changes your opinion of them, then it takes filling out a new registration to change your party.
Finally, let’s introduce the resources you can use:
- Voter Registration Form for Florida Residents
- DEADLINE TO VOTE IN THE PRIMARIES IS JULY 12th
- Compiled Polling Information
- General Voting Information