ORLANDO, Fla. – The primary election in Florida is on Aug. 30. The primary election date is 10 weeks prior to the general election on Nov. 8.
Florida is a closed primary state and voters can only vote for a candidate in their affiliated party of choice declared on their voter registration.
The primary election declares each party's nominee for the November election.
How can you register to vote?
In order to register to vote, you must:
• Be a citizen of the U.S. (a lawful permanent resident is not a U.S. citizen for registration and voting purposes)
• Be a Florida resident
• Be at least 18 years old (although you may preregister if you are 16)
• Not now be adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or any other state without having had your voting rights restored
• Not have been convicted of a felony in Florida, or any other state, without your civil rights having been restored
• Provide your current and valid Florida driver's license number or Florida identification card number. If you do not have a current and valid Florida driver's license number or Florida identification card, you must provide the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you do not have any of the above, check the appropriate box provided on the voter registration application.
Third-party voter primary registration
Voters can also register with a third-party voter registration organization.
The organization will submit your voter registration application on your behalf to the voter's supervisor of elections in their county.
If you use a third-party voter registration, you can check to see if the organization is active by visiting http://tpvr.elections.myflorida.com.
Redistricting
U.S. congressional and legislative districts have undergone a reorganization as districts have been redrawn, after the changes were approved by the Florida Supreme Court in 2015.
Redistricting affects which congressional leaders leads the district and represents the voter.
There are 27 congressional districts in the state of Florida.
Redistricting affects what district you will be voting in and the congressional member is determined by who was selected in 2014, govtrack.us said.
Voters can check their district by using the interactive map below that outlines the new district lines.
Races to watch in Florida
Florida’s 13th Congressional District will be a major 2016 election. The district was rated as a battleground until the 2015 redistricting. It has been labeled as safely Democratic for the 2016 race. even though Republican incumbent David Jolly is seeking re-election. Jolly had been running for the U.S. Senate, but dropped out after Marco Rubio announced he planned to seek another term. Jolly is now running against Mark Bircher for the GOP nomination in the 13th District. Former Gov. Charlie Crist is running on the Democratic ticket and will face no primary opponent.
Florida’s 18th Congressional District election is also expected to be a major race. Democratic incumbent Patrick Murphy is seeking a seat in the U.S. Senate, leaving his spot in this battleground district open. There are currently eight Republican candidates and three Democratic candidates running in the primaries.
Florida’s 26th Congressional District election will also be a major 2016 race as Republican incumbent Carlos Curbelo seeks re-election. There are currently no other Republican candidates running against him in the GOP primary and two candidates running on behalf of the Democratic Party.
Another Florida race that is expected to get heavy coverage is the U.S. Senate election in Florida. The race is being considered a battleground race this year as Rubio is seeking re-election. Rubio announced his running for re-election after an unsuccessful Republican presidential campaign, leaving many to believe his seat was up for grabs until his announcement to run again. There are five Republican candidates and five Democratic candidates running in the parties' primaries.