League of Women Voters 2024 Manatee County Primary Voting Guide

Elections present voters with important choices. How will these local races affect you and your community? It’s a time to consider the issues that you care about and decide which candidate you support. But how do voters go about comparing and then judging the candidates?

All too often, slogans, controversy, and personality are all that come through in campaign materials. However, it is possible to move beyond style and toward substance. The League of Women Voters Manatee County Primary Voting Guide is one resource from which voters can get detailed information on local candidates.

Click here to access a detailed PDF of the LWVMC Primary Voting Guide

Other Voting Resources

• Vote411.org is compiled by League members and is particularly good for county and municipal candidates.  To see candidate responses to LWV questions, click on “Find What’s on Your Ballot”.  On this site you can also register to vote, find your polling place and much more. 
• Ballotpedia This site does additional research on candidates, primarily above the county level. For additional candidate information and background, click on “What’s on your Ballot”. 
• Candidate Forums Voters can see clearly different candidate positions in these nonpartisan candidate forums.
• LWVFL analysis of the Florida Constitutional Amendments on the General Election Ballot

Upcoming Election Dates:
Polling Locations Open at 7:00 am on Election Day and close at 7:00 pm.

 To request for a vote-by-mail ballot you may:

Apply with an online application,
Apply in writing by email, fax or mail, to the Supervisor of Elections

Call the Supervisor of Elections at 941-741-3823
Apply in person at the Supervisor of Elections office (600 301 Blvd W., Suite 118, Bradenton 34205)

If you would like to have a vote-by-mail ballot mailed to you, all requests must be received by 5 p.m. on the tenth day before an election, in this case.

The person requesting a vote-by-mail ballot must disclose:

• The name of the voter
• The voter’s address
• The voter’s date of birth
• The requester’s name
• The requester’s address
• The requester’s driver’s license number, if available
• The requester’s relationship to the voter; and
• The requester’s signature (written request only).

Completed ballots must be received at the Office of the Supervisor of Elections, 600 301 Boulevard West, Suite 108, Bradenton, not later than 7 p.m. on the day of the election. Do not return your voted vote-by-mail ballot to a polling place.

Day of the Election Voting:
On August 20, registered voters may vote at their assigned precinct only. Visit the SOE website to locate your polling site. 

Evaluating Candidates

• Click Here to see “How to Judge a Candidate” by the League of Women Voters
• Click Here for a checklist for evaluating school board candidates.

Voting by mail is convenient, saves time, and allows you to research candidates at your leisure. For more information on voting by mail and early voting click on, Vote by Mail and Early Voting.

To track a mail-in ballot, click “Vote By Mail & Early Voting” on the website’s left-hand column, and then click “Track Your Vote By Mail Ballot.”

Check to be sure you have the right location to vote. To find your designated precinct, visit votemanatee.com and click “Where Do I Vote?”

Bring Identification

Voters are required to bring a valid photo ID and signature. Most vote using a Florida Drivers License. For other acceptable forms of ID, according to the Florida Division of Elections, Click Here

If you do not bring proper ID, you can still vote a provisional ballot. As long as you are eligible and voted in the proper precinct, your provisional ballot will count provided the signature on your provisional ballot matches the signature in your registration record.