Elections

Early Voting Opens Saturday: What Escambia County Voters Need to Know

Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender joined me on Rick’s Blog Live to walk through the new ballot-selfie rule, the governor/lieutenant governor overvote trap, and why you no longer have to surrender an unused vote-by-mail ballot.

Early voting for the Aug. 18 primary runs Saturday, Aug. 8 through Saturday, Aug. 15. Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender wants voters to know the process should feel familiar.

• “I want voters to realize they shouldn’t expect anything different than maybe an experience they’ve had in the last few years,” Bender said on this week’s episode of Rick’s Blog Live.

No Passport, No Birth Certificate, No Problem

Despite national chatter about tightened requirements at the polls, Bender said nothing has changed for Escambia County voters. Citizenship status is already verified in the county, so a passport or birth certificate isn’t necessary, though a passport can still serve as photo ID.

• Voters who received a sample ballot in the mail can bring it into the booth to speed things along.

“Really just come in, know who you want to vote for… have those races already marked and just copy the answers and get in and out as quickly as you can.” — Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender

Ten Sites, Any One You Want

Escambia County has 10 early voting sites, all open 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, including Sunday, from Aug. 8 through Aug. 15. You don’t have to vote near your home address, so if you work downtown or attend UWF, you can vote wherever is convenient.

LOCATIONS
• Supervisor of Elections Office, 213 S. Palafox St., second floor
• Main Library, 239 Spring St.
• Molino Community Center, 6450-A Highway 95A
• Asbury Place, 750 College Blvd.
• Southwest Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway
• Bellview Library, 6425 Mobile Highway
• Escambia County Extension, 3740 Stefani Road
• Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto St.
• UWF Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 11000 University Parkway, Building 82
• Billy G. Ward Courthouse, 7500 N. Century Blvd.

Watch Out for the Governor/Lieutenant Governor Overvote

Bender flagged a statewide issue that’s already generating confused phone calls: the ballot lists the race as “Governor/Lieutenant Governor,” but most candidates haven’t picked a running mate yet, so only one name appears under most contests. Voters see the combined title and think they need to mark two ovals.

“A vote for one does not mean vote for a lieutenant governor and a governor. It means just vote for the governor that you want to have the party.”

It gets trickier on the Democratic side, where David Jolly has already named a running mate. Her name appears beneath his, offset slightly, but with no oval next to it, prompting calls asking why there’s nothing to mark. Bender said the tabulator will catch an overvote at early voting or on Election Day and let you request a new ballot. Vote-by-mail is where this is likely to cause real problems, since there’s no tabulator to flag the mistake before the ballot is counted.

Vote-by-Mail Just Got Easier — And More Secure

Changed your mind after requesting a mail ballot? You no longer have to bring the unfilled ballot in to surrender it. Every early voting site has a secure ballot intake station, open the same hours, and those ballots are collected every night. If you show up to vote in person, poll workers will void your mail ballot on the spot and issue you a new one.

• Bender also detailed a new safeguard: each vote-by-mail ballot carries a “V” marking that blocks it from being run through a tabulator at an early voting site, closing a loophole where someone could try to cast both a mail ballot and an in-person ballot. The office also verifies that a voter actually requested a mail ballot before counting it, and flags their record once it’s received, preventing a double vote.

Every Ballot Has These Races

Regardless of party or address, every Escambia County voter will see:

• The referendum on whether the superintendent of schools should be appointed or elected
• The mayor’s race, for every city voter
• Nonpartisan school board races in Districts 1, 2 and 3, each with two candidates

The Turnout Goal

Bender is hoping for better numbers than the last cycle. “We don’t want 75% to stay at home again like they did in 2024,” he said, adding that his office would love to see turnout climb back toward 30% to 35 % or higher.

Early voting runs August 8th through August 15th, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day, including Sunday. Election Day is Aug. 18. Check out the Inweekly 2026 Primary Guide.