Early voting for primary to open as election nears
Early voting for the Aug. 18 primary election will kick off on Aug. 8 and run through Aug. 15.
Sanibel and Captiva voters can cast their ballot early at 12 locations throughout Lee County from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Open to all regardless of their precinct, the early voting sites are as follows:
– Bonita Springs Election Office, at 25987 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 105, Bonita Springs
– Cape Coral Elections Office, at 1039 S.E. 9th Ave., Cape Coral
– Cape Coral-Lee County Library, at 921 S.W. 39th Terrace, Cape Coral
– Dr. Carrie D. Robinson Center, at 2990 Edison Ave., Fort Myers
– East County Regional Library, at 881 Gunnery Road N., Lehigh Acres
– Estero Recreation Center, at 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd., Estero
– Fort Myers Regional Library, at 1651 Lee St., Fort Myers
– Lakes Regional Library, at 15290 Bass Road, Fort Myers
– Lee County Elections Center, at 13180 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers
– North Fort Myers Recreation Center, at 2000 N. Recreation Park Way, North Fort Myers
– Northwest Regional Library, at 519 Chiquita Blvd. N., Cape Coral
– Veterans Park Recreation Center, at 55 Homestead Road S., Lehigh Acres
The following local races will be on the ballot for island voters, regardless of party affiliation:
– Lee County Board of County Commissioners: District 5
Incumbent Republican District 5 Commissioner Trish Petrosky and Republican challenger Amanda Cochran have qualified. The seat is a two-year term from 2026-28.
– Lee County School Board: District 1
Incumbent District 1 School Board Member Sam Fisher and challenger Jenn McDaigle qualified. The seat is a four-year term from 2026-30. School board members are non-partisan officeholders.
– Lee County School Board: District 6
Incumbent District 6 School Board Member Jada Langford-Fleming and challenger India Palencia qualified. The seat is a four-year term from 2026-30. School board members are non-partisan officeholders.
– 20th Judicial Circuit Judge: Group 19
Incumbent Circuit Judge James Stewart and challenger Vera Bergermann qualified. The seat is a six-year term from 2026-32. Judges are non-partisan officeholders.
– 20th Judicial Circuit Judge: Group 27
Incumbent Circuit Judge Amanda Levy-Reis and challenger Ryan Kuhl qualified. The seat is a six-year term from 2026-32. Judges are non-partisan officeholders.
– Lee County Judge: Group 5
Incumbent County Judge Javier A. Pacheco and challenger Mike Colombo qualified. The seat is a six-year term from 2026-32. Judges are non-partisan officeholders.
Florida is a closed primary election state. As such, voters not registered as members of a political party may not get to vote for respective party candidates or nominees for an office in a primary election.
The following additional races will be on the ballot for Republican island voters:
– United States Senator
– Representative in Congress, District 19
– Governor and Lieutenant Governor
– Chief Financial Officer
– Commissioner of Agriculture
The following additional races will be on the ballot for Democratic island voters:
– United States Senator
– Representative in Congress, District 19
– Governor and Lieutenant Governor
– Chief Financial Officer
– Commissioner of Agriculture
The primary will be held on Aug. 18 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Election Day, voters will only be allowed to cast a ballot at their assigned polling precinct. The on-island sites are as follows:
– Precinct 105: The Community House, at 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel
– Precinct 116: Sanibel Recreation Center, at 3880 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel
The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Aug. 6 at 5 p.m.
Voters who have not submitted a vote-by-mail request since the 2024 general election will need to submit a new one to receive a ballot for the 2026 elections. Requests can be made online at www.lee.vote, by phone at 239-LEE-VOTE (533-8683) or in person at any Lee County Elections office.
The deadline to return a vote-by-mail ballot is Aug. 18 at 7 p.m.
Before Election Day, ballots may be dropped off at any of the 12 early voting locations throughout Lee County from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. On Election Day, the following offices will accept the ballots:
– Bonita Springs Election Office, at 25987 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 105, Bonita Springs
– Cape Coral Elections Office, at 1039 S.E. 9th Ave., Cape Coral
– Lee County Elections Center, at 13180 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers
– Lehigh Acres Branch Office, at 600 Homestead Road S. Suite 9, Lehigh Acres
– Main Office, at 2480 Thompson St., 3rd Floor, Fort Myers
For more information, visit https://www.lee.vote/ or call 239-533-8683.
To reach TIFFANY REPECKI / trepecki@breezenewspapers.com, please email