Your Manatee County voter information: Are you election ready?

Now that the Presidential Primary is history, voters have a new opportunity to be election ready for the next two elections this year!

Many voters at the polls in March were not election ready in terms of their party affiliation and current addresses. This proved to be frustrating for many voters and poll workers alike.

There is plenty of time for all registered voters to be up-to-date and informed in advance of the Aug. 30 primary, where we will vote on state and local candidates and issues.

Understanding the "book-closing deadline" helps in preparation of being election ready. Twenty-nine days prior to an election, the voter registration books close to new registration and party change applicants. If a voter has not voted in several years or checked to ensure their voter registration is in good standing, they are at risk of being removed from the registration books.

In addition to book-closing, Florida is a closed primary state. This means the candidates on your ballot will be candidates who are the same party affiliation as your registration.

Voters must not wait until Election Day to discover they are not affiliated with the party they thought they were.

To assist Manatee County voters for the upcoming primary, my office will be mailing out a letter to every registered voter this month listing their polling location and party affiliation. This letter can be recognized by its message printed in red on the outside envelope, "Important Voting Information from the Supervisor of Elections."

Here are more ways to be election ready:

To save time on Election Day, confirm your polling location and address on our website, www.VoteManatee.com. Due to changing circumstances, it is sometimes necessary to relocate polling locations. This information is updated on our website, or you can call our office to confirm your precinct.

If voting at the polls, review and mark your sample ballot beforehand, and take it with you on Election Day.

Update your address with the elections office.

If you are at the wrong polling place on Election Day, you must go to your home precinct to vote a regular ballot. Or vote at any of our five early voting locations.

If you requested a Vote By Mail ballot, update your signature. Your signature is what we use to verify your Vote By Mail ballot before it is ever opened or counted. Fill out a voter registration application on our website, print and mail it in with your updated signature.

Although you may receive election information from candidates and third-party organizations about your voter registration, the best source regarding your voter registration is the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office.

Every time a voter chooses not to vote, their freedom of choice is relinquished to others to make decisions for them. It only takes a few minutes to ensure that your vote counts in the upcoming elections.

Contact my office at 941-741-3823 or visit our website at www.VoteManatee.com to be an election ready voter.

Michael Bennett, is the Supervisor of Elections of Manatee County.

This story was originally published May 4, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Your Manatee County voter information: Are you election ready? ."