Presidential primary live updates: What to know about today's election in Escambia, Santa Rosa

From staff reports

Pensacola News Journal

Today is the presidential preference primary election, when voters across Florida head to the polls to vote for the presidential candidate they want to represent their party in the November General Election. The presidential race is the only contest on the PPP ballot in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. The candidates who appear on the preference primary ballot are designated by the Florida Democratic Party and the Republican Party of Florida.

What is difference between presidential preference primary and Florida primary?

Tuesday's election is a presidential preference primary (PPP), not to be confused with the Florida primary that will take place on Aug. 20.

During the PPP, registered Florida voters will vote for the presidential candidate they want to represent their party during the November general election. This is different from the primary election, when voters will decide the rest of their party's candidates who will appear on the general election ballot.

1:30 p.m. | When do Escambia, Santa Rosa county polls close?

Polls for the 2024 presidential preference primary in Escambia and Santa Rosa county will close at 7 p.m.

(You can pad this out with an update on turnout so far, if available.)

Publish who is ahead in polls — Post around lunch time and again around 4-5 p.m. when people are checking out of work)
Publish update on polls closing, when can people begin seeing results — 7 p.m.

12:30 p.m. Secretary of State gives Election Day update

Cord Byrd, Florida's secretary of state and chief elections officer, gave an update Tuesday in which he said he'd been in contact with all 67 counties by midday and there were no "major issues" and no voters unable to cast a ballot.

He also said that as of Monday night 807,782 people had voted either early or by mail, according to local elections supervisors across the state.

Even though only Republicans can vote and Trump is the last GOP candidate still pursuing the White House, "we want to show a good turnout because it's good for the republic. It's good to show that democracy is working," Byrd said.

What to bring with you to vote

The most important thing to bring with you on election day is a current and valid photo ID with a signature. Any of the following photo IDS are accepted:

Florida driver’s license
Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
United States passport
Debit or credit card
Military identification
Student identification
Retirement center identification
Neighborhood association identification
Public assistance identification
Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
License to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06
Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality.

If your photo ID doesn't have a signature, you will be asked to provide one that does.

If you don't have a proper ID, you can still vote a provisional ballot. To do so, you'll need to ensure that you are eligible and that you voted in the proper precinct. Your provisional ballot will count, provided that the signature on the provisional ballot matches the signature in your registration record.

10 a.m. A good dress rehearsal for August and November

More than 1,000 Republicans in Escambia County had come out in person to vote Tuesday in the Florida Presidential Primary in roughly the first two hours of voting.

Just after 9:20 a.m., Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender told the News Journal that 1,061 voters had come to polling locations Tuesday to cast their ballot.

With the 7,887 vote-by-mail ballots processed so far on Tuesday and the 5,875 early voting ballots, the total vote count was up to 14,823 ballots cast.

Vote-by-mail ballots received by the election's office before the end of the day will also continue to be processed and added to the count.

Bender said if the pace continues, turnout will be around 20% of eligible voters, which he said will likely be less than turnout in the 2020 presidential primary.

"The situation is probably a little different, but I think either way, people still want their voices to be heard," Bender said. "And I think that's why we're still seeing people headed to the polls and vote-by-mail still coming."

It's Bender's first election in the election's office, and Tuesday is a good dress rehearsal for the larger turnout expected in the August primary and November general election.

"We still have to prepare every location for voters, whether we're getting one or 100," Bender said. "So we have all locations open and ready for voters and staffed. It's a good opportunity to test all of our policies and procedures and to fine-tune it for August and November."

8:45 a.m. Why should I vote in the primary if it's already decided?

It's still a good idea to vote whenever you can, as a symbol of democracy and set an example for your children.

The primary is also a chance to let your political party know how you feel about the candidates and the party's direction. In Michigan's primary, 13% of Democrats voted for "Uncommitted" rather than Biden or any other candidates as a way to protest the administration's support of Israel's military actions in Gaza.

Not sure where to vote? Here’s how to find your polling location

Not sure where to go to vote? The Escambia and Santa Rosa county Supervisor of Elections websites can help you find your precinct.

To find your polling site in Escambia County, head over to the Escambia Votes website and use the "Find My Precinct" tool:

Enter your house number into the tool
Type in your street name (No need to enter the direction or street type)
Select your street name from the options that appear

You'll immediately see your address precinct just below the chosen address, along with upcoming election information underneath that. The location and address of your precinct's polling location will appear with the upcoming election information.

Santa Rosa County voters can use the same tool, which can be found on the Vote Santa Rosa website. Follow the same steps above and you'll be shown your precinct number.

If you're having trouble with the tool, make sure you type in the name of your address rather than copying and pasting it.

7 a.m. | Escambia, Santa Rosa county polls officially open

Escambia and Santa Rosa County polling locations are officially open. Between now and 7 p.m., voters can cast their ballot at their designated location.

You can find your polling location on the Escambia or Santa Rosa county websites. Sample ballots can also be found there.

How to check if you're registered to vote in Florida

Checking your voter registration status in Florida is an easy process. Here’s how to do it:

Visit the Department of State website
Enter your first and last name and your birthday
Accept the terms of service by checking the option that says you “understand and agree”
Submit your information

After submitting your information, you’ll see a form that provides your voter registration information. At the bottom, you’ll see your registration status, which will say either active or inactive.

2024 Elections:Your guide to the 2024 elections

Who is on the ballot in Florida’s primary?

According to a sample ballot provided by the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections, the following candidates will appear on the presidential preference primary election ballot:

How do Florida primary and general elections work?

Florida is one of 12 states that use a closed primary election process. That means that you may only vote for candidates of the party you are registered with. Independent voters, or nonpartisan voters, are not able to vote for partisan candidates during closed primaries.

During the general election, all registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, can vote for any candidate of their choosing.

When is the next presidential election?Here's what you need to know to vote in Florida

Primary election key dates

Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to UOCAVA voters: July 6
Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to domestic voters: July 11 – 18
Deadline to register to vote: July 22
Early voting period (mandatory period): Aug. 10 – 17
Deadline to request that ballot be mailed: Aug. 8
Election Day: Aug. 20