Early Voting at the Library

Information about Special Election, Senate District 8 and School Board Seat 1

For more on early voting, visit the Supervisor of Elections website. Check out their FAQ page here.

What is early voting?

As a convenience and to provide easier accessibility to the voter, the supervisor of elections shall allow an elector to vote early in the main branch or branch office of the supervisor.

The supervisor may designate any city hall or permanent public library facility as early voting sites; however if so designated, the sites must be geographically located so as to provide all voters in the county an equal opportunity to cast a ballot.
(Ref.: Election Laws of the State of Florida. Statue 101.657 early Voting p. 62-3)

When is early voting?

Generally - Early voting shall begin on the 15th day before an election and end two days before an election.

Duval county specifics:

October 20-November 2, 2008 (Election day - November 4, 2008)

What are the early voting sites?

Where do I vote at a public library?

A meeting room will be set up for early voting in the selected libraries. This is done to comply with prescribed security measures.

What about security?

The Supervisor of Elections office will provide an off-duty police officer for the facility during the 14 days of early voting. The officer's presence is required to ensure the ballots are secured through the night. The officer will arrive 30 mins prior to the closing of the early voting site and will remain until 9:30 a.m. the next morning.

For more on early voting, visit the Supervisor of Elections website. Check out their FAQ page here.

Will library staff assist early voters?

Library staff can only direct customers/voters to the voting area or answer general questions about early voting. More specific information requests will be handled by Supervisor of Elections staff.

Will library locations normally closed (i.e. Saturday or Sunday) be open for regular business during early voting?

No.

About soliciting, staffers campaigning for candidates and handicapped access:

Statue 102.031:'Maintenance of good order at polls. No persons, political committee, committee or continuous existence, or other group or organization may solicit voters inside the polling place or within 100 ft of the entrance of the polling place or early voting site.' There will be a deputy to staff the outside of the entrance monitoring all outdoor activity such as solicitors, campaigners, assisting voters w/ disabilities and removing ALL signage from the property.

Can a person register to vote at early voting?

Yes. A person can register, change their address, party affiliation, name and VOTE. However, in order to VOTE at an early voting site, the voter must be a resident of Duval County.

Are there rules about candidates and/or campaign workers distributing literature or campaigning at a library?

The 100 ft distance rule only applies for early voting and voting day. Candidates and their workers can be asked to confine their solicitations to the parking area. Those who wish to protest should contact the Library Office at (904) 630-1994.

Differences between Election Day and Early Voting:

In addition to the differences above, not all library branches serve as polling places due to the proximity of other primary polling sites. Here is a list of libraries that serve as polling sites on Election Day: