More than 7,500 St. Johns County residents have already voted by mail in special elections there. Early voting begins Saturday and runs until the day before Easter.
All St. Johns County voters are eligible to choose who fills three seats at the Florida Statehouse. Powerful Republican John Thrasher left Senate District 6 last year to become president of Florida State University. The contest for his old seat is between former Republican Representative Travis Hutson and Daytona Beach Democrat David Cox. Races to fill Hutson’s old seat and another vacated by Ponte Vedra Beach Republican Doc Renuart are also on the ticket. St. Johns County Elections Supervisor Vicky Oakes says voters can request mail-in ballots until April 1. But she cautions new postal standards could delay their return.
"Over 50 percent of first-class mail is now three to five days on delivery, so they need to return them in plenty of time so they’ll reach the office in order to be counted," Oakes said.
Oakes says if the ballot doesn’t reach her by 7 on Election night, April 7, it doesn’t count. That’s why she encourages voters to use ballot drop boxes around the county, including a 24-hour on at her office. Early voting at six locations runs daily from 9 in the morning to 6 at night until Saturday, April 4.
