Special primary election to be held in Marion County

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — A special election will be held in Marion County to fill the vacancy for the office of State Representative House District 24.

The Marion County Special Primary Election will be held Tuesday, March 7, 2023. Florida is a closed primary state, meaning voters may only vote for candidates in their registered party in a Primary Election.

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For this special primary election, only Republican votes who reside in House District 24 will be eligible to participate. Voters can verify their eligibility by looking up their registration at www.VoteMarion.Gov or calling 352-620-3290.

According to a news release, Marion County has over 275,000 total registered voters and as of registration books close, there are 61,422 voters eligible to vote in this election.

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The deadline to register to vote and change party affiliation for the Special Primary Election was February 6.

Eligible voters can cast their ballot by mail or in person during early voting or on Election Day, Marion County Supervisor of Elections Wesley Wilcox said. The deadline to request a mail ballot for the special primary is Saturday, Feb. 25 by 5 p.m.

According to a news release, 2,719 mail ballots have been returned, equating to a 4.43% voter turnout. Mail ballots must be signed by the voter and received by the Elections Office by 7 p.m. Election Day to be counted. Early Voting begins Saturday, Feb. 25 and will continue through Saturday, March 4.

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Early voting locations for House District 24 will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. are located at:

• Marion County Election Center - 981 NE 16th St - Ocala, FL 34470
• Belleview Public Library - 13145 SE HWY 484 - Belleview, FL 34420
• Deputy Brian Litz Building - 9048 SW HWY 200 - Ocala, FL 34481
• Freedom Public Library - 5870 SW 95th St - Ocala, FL 34476

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The last opportunity to vote is on Election Day, Tuesday, March 7. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 48 polling locations. Voters are encouraged to look up their assigned voting location before heading to the polls by visiting www.VoteMarion.Gov/MyPrecinct. Voters must present a current and valid photo and signature identification to vote, the release stated.

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