If you want to vote in the primary – and you really should – the deadline to change your registration is Monday, July 20

Florida residents face a Monday deadline to register to vote in next month’s primary elections.

The Aug. 18 ballots in many areas of the state will include partisan primaries for congressional and legislative seats. Also, voters will cast ballots in local races, many of which are nonpartisan.

“There is a lot of thought out there and misconception that since it is a primary election, only Democrats and Republicans are allowed to vote,” Leon County Supervisor of Elections Mark Earley says. “That is absolutely not true. There are lots of races that are for everybody.”

Voters who want to switch party affiliations also must make the changes by Monday. Statewide voter turnout during the 2018 primary elections was just 27 percent.

Stay on top of Orlando news and views. Sign up for our weekly Headlines newsletter.

This article appears in Jul 15-21, 2020.