Elections
What Escambia County Voters Need to Know
Ten sites, 13 days and a ballot printed on the spot. Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender explains how it works and what to bring.
Early voting in Escambia County begins Monday, Oct. 19, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 31. Polls at all ten sites are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.
- Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender joined me on Rick’s Blog Live to walk through the process. Here is what voters should know before heading out.
Vote at any site. Early voting is not tied to your precinct. If you work downtown but live in Beulah, you can vote near your office. Bender said lines tend to thin out after 5:30 p.m., and anyone in line at 6 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Locations are at escambiavotes.gov and in Inweekly.
“You shouldn’t expect to have a different experience than you’ve had before.”
Bring photo and signature ID. Bender stressed that Florida has required it for 30 years. The ID list narrows in 2027, so the same ID you used in 2024 works this year if it is still valid.
Accepted ID
- Driver’s license or state ID card
- U.S. passport
- Military ID (no signature, so bring a credit card or Social Security card to show your signature)
- Benefits card
- Concealed weapon license
- Federal or state government employee ID
- Student, retirement center or neighborhood association ID (these three go away in 2027)
You do not need a birth certificate. Bender said citizenship has already been validated for voters on the rolls.
Your ballot prints on demand. When you check in, the system prints your correct ballot right there. You mark it, feed it into the tabulator, and the machine confirms it was read.
Study your ballot first. The county mailed about 120,000 sample ballots ahead of the storm. Bender held the last 20,000 until after it passed and mailed them Tuesday. The sample ballot is also online, and you can print it and mark it up. Inweekly’s election guide, publishing Oct. 22, will include a copy.
What is on the ballot. It is a 17-inch, two-sided ballot.
- Front, column one: U.S. Senate, Congress, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, CFO, Agriculture Commissioner and Attorney General
- Front, column two: state House races for districts one or two, plus local races such as county commission or ECUA
- Judicial retention: one Supreme Court justice and three First DCA judges
- City of Pensacola races
- Amendment 1: a two-page measure that appears in four places, twice on the front and twice on the back. Vote both sides.
- Back: Amendment 2, Amendment 3 and the county referendum on the local option sales tax at the end
Bender said you should hear the “vote both sides” reminder twice and see it four times.
Early Voting
Early voting in Florida continues through Saturday, Oct. 31. In Escambia County, registered voters have 10 spots to pick from, and each is open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.
Early Voting Locations:
- Supervisor of Elections Office, 213 S. Palafox, Second Floor
- Pensacola Main Library, 239 Spring St.
- Molino Community Center, 6450-A Highway 95A, Molino
- Ashbury Place, 750 College Blvd.
- Southwest Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway
- Bellview Library, 6425 Mobile Highway
- Escambia County Extension Services, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment
- Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto St.
- Billy G. Ward Courthouse, 7500 N. Century Blvd., Century
- UWF Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voting starts tomorrow, and the ballot is long. Take the time to read it before you go.
