Deadline arrives to register for Nov. 6 vote

TALLAHASSEE — Registered voters in Florida will get a say in races for U.S. Senate, governor, Cabinet, the Legislature, a slew of local government positions and as many as 12 constitutional amendments. Those who aren’t registered won’t get a say in anything.

The deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 6 election is Tuesday, but procrastinators still have several ways to sign up before the cutoff at midnight.

Citizens can register online at a Florida Division of Elections website, registertovoteflorida.gov, or in person at a local supervisor of elections office. To register online, you’ll need a Florida driver’s license or a state-issued identification card.

“… I encourage all eligible Floridians who still need to submit a voter registration application to do so by the October 9 deadline,” said Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner.

Detzner’s agency is also extending operations for a hotline to help voters. Residents can call 1-866-308-6739 or email OVRsupport@dos.myflorida.com for assistance.

Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles said the online option, plus the efforts of third-party groups signing up voters along with other options like registration at driver’s license offices and libraries tends to alleviate the lines at his offices.

“Coming in to register on the last day is not like it used to be because of all of the other options,” Cowles said.

Elections offices in Orange County will be open until 6 p.m. Tuesday, but those who don’t make it before then can still register online before 11:59 p.m. or send a registration form through the mail – as long as it has a date marked Oct. 9 or earlier.

With so many competitive races on the ballot, there’s been an uptick in registrants compared with prior years, Cowles said. Orlando is also a hub for groups who help register new voters. On Saturday, Cowles’ office received 1,100 forms from outside groups.

“There’s been more activity,” Cowles said. “It’s what’s on the ballot that generates more participation.”

As of July 30, the book closing date for the primary election, there were more than 13 million voters in Florida – 35 percent Republicans, 37 percent Democrats, 27 percent no party affiliation and less than 1 percent third parties.

The major parties have been busy pushing newer voters to register. The Florida Democratic Party released a memo last week touting its efforts to register Hispanic voters this year. They claim Hispanics have registered with them over the Republican Party by a 2 to 1 ratio since February.