Voter registration clock ticking for August primary

If you want to help pick the Democratic and Republican candidates for governor, decide which judges preside in court and elect members of the School Board, you’ve got to be registered to vote in the August primaries and nonpartisan elections.

If you're not registered, you've got to act by July 30, the deadline to register to vote in the Aug. 28 contests.

And if you’re not registered in a party, and want to vote in the Democratic or Republican parties, you must become a party member by the same deadline.

Online registration

It’s easier than ever to register to vote. Florida began online voter registration on Oct. 1.

“That is one of the best conveniences that we’ve passed in a long time,” said Susan Bucher, supervisor of elections in Palm Beach County.

People can register to vote and change their party affiliations at registertovoteflorida.gov.

Users need a Florida driver’s license or state identification card and the last four digits of their Social Security number to complete and submit the voter registration application electronically. Once an individual’s identity is verified and the application is deemed complete, a voter information card is issued by the county Supervisor of Elections office.

The state Division of Elections said the site has “multiple safeguards in place to verify and protect a person’s identity and personal information.” The state said the website requires information that only the person seeking to register or change an existing registration should know — such as the date a person’s driver’s license was issued.

The deadline for online registration is 11:59 p.m. July 30. However, waiting until the last minute might not be prudent.

The system has had some glitches. “After numerous complaints last week, Florida’s election agency says the glitches on its online voter registration website are fixed,” reported WFSU public radio in Tallahassee.

The League of Women Voters of Florida urged anyone having trouble with the site to contact the Division of Elections Voter Assistance Hotline at 1-866-308-6739.

Because of the registration deadline, the hotline will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and until midnight on Monday.