2020 Election​
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Resources to help you become informed about the 2020 elections will be posted to this page, as they become available.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in their government.  The information on this page is part of our efforts to educate citizens.  The League does not support or oppose any political party or candidate.
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 VOTER GUIDE
 
A Voter Guide for all the races on your ballot is available at www.Vote411.org.  Take the link, click the arrow in the Find What's on Your Ballot box, and provide your address for a personalized guide that allows you to compare candidates side-by-side. 

If you have questions, check out our FAQs or send an email to our Webmaster.
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VIRTUAL CANDIDATE FORUMS

All candidates for the following Primary races were invited to participate in a virtual candidate forum.  If only one candidate responded, his statements were recorded.  This is not an endorsement of any candidate.  YouTube videos of these forums can be accessed by clicking the name of the race.
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Florida State House of Representatives, District 32
(Lake County)

Sumter County Commission

​Circuit Judge, Fifth Judicial Circuit, Group 22
(​Includes Lake, Marion & Sumter counties)

VOTE BY MAIL:  A Few Tip

If you are using Vote By Mail (VBM) for the first time, here are a few tips to make sure your ballot is counted.   If there are differences between counties, they are noted and you are directed to your Supervisor of Elections for more details.

• ​Fill out your ballot correctly.  Fill in the oval completely using a black pen.  Do not use a checkmark or circle the name.  Do not use blue ink or a pencil. ​
• Signature.  Write your signature on the outer envelope, where indicated, using a black pen.   Do not​ scribble.  Your ballot will be discarded if your signature does not match the document you submitted to request your mail-in ballot or the signature on your driver's license, if you requested your ballot online or by phone. ​
• Contact Information.  Write your email address and/or phone number on the envelop, if it is requested.  This allows the Supervisor of Elections (SOE) to contact you more quickly if there are any issues with your ballot.   ​
• Return your ballot.  Do not procrastinate.  The earlier you mail your ballot, the less likely you will miss the deadline.  If you think you've waited too long, each county has directions for submitting VBM ballots at secure drop boxes.  Locations and deadlines vary by county.   (i.e., Lake County will not accept VBM ballots on Election Day;  Marion and Sumter Counties do.) 

                         Lake County  (352) 343-9734  
                         Marion County
                         Sumter County

• Track your ballot.​  You can check the status of your VBM ballot on your county's tracking system.

                      Lake County Tracking
                      Marion County Tracking
                      Sumter County Tracking

• What status means

                    ​Requested  -  the SOE is processing  your request for a VBM ballot
                    Sent  -  the SOE  has mailed your ballot
                    Received  -  your ballot has been received.
                             If there were problems with your ballot, it will not be in a Received status, and  
                            you will be contacted using the phone or email on your return envelope.
                           If you did not provide contact information,  you will be notified of issues through the mail.
                    Counted  -  VBM ballots are tabulated on Election Day.

• Resolve issues with your signature.  If your ballot was not counted because of issues with your signature, you have until 5 p.m. on the second day after the election to sign the official Vote-By-Mail Cure Affidavit to remedy the problem.

More details about Vote-By-Mail are available on our 3 Ways to Vote page.
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HOW TO EVALUATE JUDGES

Because millions of Florida voters leave the ballot blank for judicial races The National Association of Women Judges created the following three documents.  They explain the difference between trial and appellate judges, suggest questions to consider when evaluating a candidate's qualifications, and provide resources for learning more.

1. The Guide for Florida Voters provides an overview of the judiciary in Florida.
   
2. For suggested criteria for evaluating a judicial candidate and resources for more information, read How to Judge a Judicial Candidate.
   
3. Evaluating Appellate Judges provides more considerations specific to  retention races.

Trial judges are elected in non-partisan races in the Primary; Appellate judges appear on the General Election ballot in retention elections.
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