While absentee ballots are already being cast across the state for the Aug. 14 primary, citizens in five counties began showing up at designated early voting locations Monday due to long-unchanged federal preclearance rules.
Early voting is under way in Collier, Hardee, Hendry, Hillsborough and Monroe counties, five counties with a history of civil rights voting infractions.
For those in the state's 62 other counties, the early voting period gets under way next week.
Last year, the state Legislature changed a number of state voting laws, including reducing the early voting period from 14 to eight days. However, the state continues to await a federal ruling on implementing the changes in Collier, Hardee, Hendry, Hillsborough and Monroe.
Because of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the state needs federal preclearance to enact the changes for jurisdictions in which less than 50 percent of the voting-age citizens were registered to vote or voted in the presidential election, had a non-English-speaking population of more than 5 percent and provided voting materials only in English.
Monroe
Supervisor of Elections Offices:
530 Whitehead St. #101, Key West
490 63rd St., Ocean #130, Marathon
102050 Overseas Hwy #137, Key Largo
Public Libraries:
Big Pine Key Library located in the Winn Dixie Plaza 213 Key Deer Blvd.
Islamorada Branch Library, U.S. Hwy. 1, MM. 81.7 Islamorada
8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Hendry
LaBelle Elections Office 25 E. Hickpochee Ave., LaBelle
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Clewiston Elections Office 100 E. El Paso Ave., Clewiston
8 a.m.-1 p.m.; 2 p.m.-5 p.m.
Collier
Everglades City Hall 102 Copeland Ave. N, Everglades City
Golden Gate Library 2432 Lucerne Road, Naples
Immokalee Library 417 N First St, Immokalee
Library Headquarters 2385 Orange Blossom Drive, Naples
Marco Island Library 210 S Heathwood Drive, Marco Island
Naples City Hall -- 735 8th St. S, Naples
Supervisor of Elections Office 3295 Tamiami Trl E, Naples
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Hardee
Supervisor of Elections Office, 311 N. 6th Ave. Wauchula, 33873
9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Hillsborough
Bloomingdale Regional Public Library, 1906 Bloomingdale Ave, Valrico,33596
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
C. Blythe Andrews Jr. Public Library, 2607 E Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Tampa, 33610
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Fred B. Karl County Center, 26th Floor, 601 E Kennedy Blvd., Tampa,33602
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library, 3910 S Manhattan Ave., Tampa,33611
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, 2902 West Bearss Avenue, Tampa, 33618
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
New Tampa Regional Library, 10001 Cross Creek Blvd., Tampa,33647
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
North Tampa Branch Library, 8916 North Blvd., Tampa,33604
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Plant City, Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W McLendon St., Plant City,33563
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Riverview Branch Library, 10509 Riverview Dr., Riverview,33578
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Robert L. Gilder Elections Service Center, 2514 N Falkenburg Rd., Tampa,33619
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
SouthShore Regional Library, 15816 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin,33573
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Temple Terrace Public Library, 202 Bullard Pkw., Temple Terrace,33617
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Town 'N Country Regional Public Library, 7606 Paula Drive, Tampa, 33615
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Upper Tampa Bay Regional Public Library, 11211 Countryway Blvd., Tampa, 33626
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
West Tampa Branch Library, 2312 W Union St., Tampa,33607
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
