Early voting begins in Pinellas County

ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - On the first day of early voting in Pinellas County, early birds were ready to make their choices and skip the lines of election day.

Mail ballots went out several weeks ago, as well, giving voters lots of options to make their voices heard.

Seasoned voter Robin Yates said voting early is how he's managed not to miss casting a ballot in a primary or general election since he was old enough to vote.

“I walked right in and voted immediately... I always vote. I’m what they call a super voter,” Yates said Saturday afternoon. “I think it’s a responsibility. If you live in a democracy and you care about it, you have an obligation to vote."

In Pinellas County and others around the Bay Area, there are plenty of options to cast a ballot between now and August 28.

“Early voting [and] vote by mail gives people the perfect opportunity to make sure that your voice is heard,” said Dustin Chase with the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections.

Door-to-door canvasser Nicole McLaren said spreading the word about early voting options helps those who can’t get away from work or to vote.

“I will be taking advantage of early voting because I don’t have any more paid time off for the year, so I’ll need to use one of my weekend days to be able to do that,” she said.

In Pinellas County, early voting lasts through Sunday, August 26. Anyone who wants to vote by mail still can.

“It’s not too late to request a vote by mail ballot,” Chase said. “You can go to our website, request it there, you have until August 22. But we do encourage people to get those back to our office at least a week ahead of time, so you can get those counted.”

All mail-in ballots must be submitted by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 28.

Click the name of your county below for local early voting information.

- Citrus County

- Desoto County

- Hernando County

- Hillsborough County