STATEWIDE — Volusia County is telling voters to bring their own pens. Marion County is telling voters to bring their own sanitary items. Pinellas County is changing polling places.


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Here is how statewide steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 are affecting voting in Florida's Central Florida and Tampa area counties. We've grouped them by the day the announcement was made.

Monday, March 16

Orange County

Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles said his office is moving two polling locations to limit the risk of infection to vulnerable senior citizens.

  • Precinct 322’s polling will be changed from the Starlight Ranch clubhouse to VFW Post 4287 at 3500 S Goldenrod Road.
  • Precinct 431’s polling place which was going to be at an assisted living facility, is now at Orlando Fire Station 16 at 12375 Lake Nona Gateway Road.

Sunday, March 15

Hillsborough County announced more polling place changes Sunday afternoon:

  • Precincts 560 (University Village) and 561 (Concordia Village) are moving to University Area Community Development Center, 14013 N. 22nd St., Tampa
  • Precincts 904 and 908 (Kings Point Clubhouse), Precinct 906 (Sun Towers), Precinct 909 (Sun City Center Community Room), and Precinct 921 (Sun City Center Florida Room) are moving to SouthShore Regional Library, 15816 Beth Shields Way in Ruskin
  • Precinct 834 (Hawthorne Estates) is moving to Kings Avenue Baptist Church, 2602 S. Kings Ave. in Brandon
  • Precinct 423 (Rocky Creek Retirement Village) is moving to Tampa Korean Seventh Day Adventist, 7215 Sheldon Road in Tampa
  • Precinct 163 (Vista 400) is moving to Beulah Baptist Institutional Church, 1006 W. Cypress St. in Tampa
  • Precinct 433 (Aston Gardens) is moving to Philippine Cultural Foundation, 14301 Nine Eagles Dr. in Tampa

Osceola County Supervisor of Elections is moving an Election Day polling location at the Good Samartian Village in Kissimmee.

The polling place, Precinct 106, is being moved to Pleasant Hill Elementary School. 

Saturday, March 14

Both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties are moving polling places for Tuesday's presidential primary because of COVID-19.

These are in addition to polling places that were moved earlier in the week.

PINELLAS COUNTY

  • Precinct 125 is moving from Peterborough Apartments to the elections office in the county building at 501 1st Avenue N. in St. Petersburg.
  • Precinct 541 is moving from Palm Harbor United Methodist Church to Centre of Palm Harbor polling site, 1500 16th St., Palm Harbor.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

  • Precinct 423 is moving from Rocky Creek Retirement Village to Tampa Korean Seventh Day Adventist at 7215 Sheldon Road, Tampa. 
  • Precinct 163 is moving from Vista 400 to Beulah Baptist Institutional Church, 1006 W. Cypress Street in Tampa.
  • Precinct 433 is moving from Aston Gardens to Phillippine Cultural Foundation, 14301 Nine Eagles Drive, Tampa. 

Friday, March 13

Brevard moves 2 polling places

Two polling precincts in Brevard County for Tuesday's presidential preference primary are being moved because they were located in assisted living facilities.

Gov. Ron DeSantis's emergency coronavirus declaration limits visitors to nursing and assisted living facilities.

  • Precinct 201/240: Courtenay Springs Village has been moved to Kiwanis Island Park Gym at 950 Kiwanis Island Park Road in Merritt Island.
  • Precinct 509: Trinity Towers East has been moved to Front Street Civic Center at 2205 Front St., Melbourne.

Volusia moves Precinct 303 and 626

Presidential preference primary voters registered for the John Knox Village Barker Center in Orange City, Precinct 303, should report instead to the Orange City United Methodist Church at 396 E. University Ave. in Orange City.

John Knox Village is an assisted living and nursing home facility, which the state has mandated only limited visitation.

Voters registered at Precinct 626 at Windsor Apartments should now report to Daytona Beach Regional Library at City Island, 105 East Magnolia Avenue in Daytona Beach.

Thursday, March 12

Polk County polling location changes

Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards announced Thursday that two polling places located in residential facilities for older residents are being moved due to coronavirus concerns.

Precinct 120 voters who would normally vote at The Estates at Carpenters will instead be voting at Gibsonia Baptist Church, 5440 US Highway 98 N. in Lakeland.

Precinct 216 voters who would normally vote at Florida Presbyterian Homes McArthur Center will instead vote at Lake Mirror Center, 121 S. Lake Avenue in Lakeland.

All affected voters will receive a postcard in the mail reminding them of the change, according to Edwards' office.

Wednesday, March 11

Manatee County polling locations combining

Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Michael Bennett announced Wednesday that the county would be combining a small number of precincts on Election Day "in order to efficiently and effectively place the poll workers who are willing and able to work this election," according to a statement from Bennett's office.

The following precincts will be affected:

  • VOTERS IN Precinct 107, Palmetto Point Civic Association, Palmetto WILL NOW VOTE AT PRECINCT 201, FAMILY OF GOD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 5601 16TH Ave E, Palmetto.
  • VOTERS IN Precinct 411, Plantation Village West Rec Hall, Bradenton, WILL NOW VOTE AT PRECINCT 413, SARA BAY BAPTIST CHURCH, 415 67th Ave W, Bradenton.
  • VOTERS IN Precincts 403, South Manatee Library; 405, Trailer Estates Auditorium; and 407, Midway Church of Christ (All 3 Precincts) WILL NOW VOTE AT PRECINCT 421, BAYSHORE GARDENS REC CENTER, 6919 26th St W, Bradenton.

Volusia Moves Polling Place, Urges Voters to Bring Own Pens

A polling place in Volusia County is moving following Gov. DeSantis' recommendation to move election precincts that are located at nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

Volusia County Elections Supervisor Lisa Lewis is moving Precinct 212, an election day polling place, from the Good Samaritan Society — Florida Lutheran, to Wayne G. Sanborn Activities Center, at 815 S. Alabama Avenue in DeLand. 

Good Samaritan Society is an assisted living facility, and the state is trying to limit who can go into facilities like this for the safety of the residents.

Lewis is also recommending that voters for early voting and on Election Day next Tuesday bring their own pens — blue or black colors only. 

"It's theirs, they don’t have to worry about someone else that may have touched it before or it laying on a table there,” Lewis said.

She said her staff is going the extra mile to make sure voters are as safe as their ballots, wiping down every surface between each person. Voters do not have to touch any certain materials if they would prefer not to. 

“When you check in we have the EVID screen that, it is designed to use your finger tip to sign on, but they do not have to that. We can print the pass, they can sign that ticket," Lewis said.

Voters don’t have to touch a secrecy sleeve either.

“The secrecy sleeve is designed to keep their ballot secret. There is one race on the ballot, they can actually turn it over and walk with it face down to put it in the machine,” she said.

Lewis said she has received calls from people with respiratory issues that are still afraid of showing up to vote in person. She said it is possible to sign an affidavit allowing someone to come pick up the ballot for them and then bring it back to the polling location. They would just need to do it it within nine days of the election and have their photo ID on hand. 

Pinellas Moves Polling Places at Assisted Living Facilities

The Pinellas County elections office is eight Election Day precincts currently located at assisted living facilities, because of Gov. DeSantis's directive.

The county says it's in the process of contacting voters who visit these precincts, and on Election Day will staff extra workers at those original locations so they can direct voters to the new polling places.

PCT

Former Polling Place

Location

New Polling Place

Location

Distance

201

Addington Place at College Harbor

4600 54 Ave. S., St. Petersburg 33711

Pinellas Community Church

5501 31 St. S., St. Petersburg, Fl 33712

 2.3

342

Elmcroft of Pinecrest

1150 8 Ave. SW, Largo 33770

Christ Presbyterian Church

3115 Dryer Ave., Largo 33770

 1.9

529

Mease Manor

700 Mease Plaza, Dunedin 34698

Dunedin Assembly of God Church

885 Lake Haven Rd., Dunedin 34698

 1.1

256/264

Palm Garden of Largo

10500 Starkey Rd., Largo 33777

Starkey Road Baptist Church

8800 Starkey Rd., Seminole 33777

 1.3

629

Stratford Court

45 Katherine Blvd., Palm Harbor 34684

Bethel Lutheran Church

3166 N. McMullen Booth Rd., Clearwater 33761

2.6 

326

The Barrington Retirement Community

901 Seminole Blvd., Largo 33770

Largo Feed Store

295 Central Park Dr., Largo 33761

 .9

102

Westminster Suncoast

1095 Pinellas Point Dr. S., St. Petersburg 33705

Bay Vista Recreation Center

7000 4 St. S., St. Petersburg 33705

 .5

631

Coral Oaks

900 West Lake Rd., Palm Harbor 34684

Highland Lakes Club

3300 MacGregor Dr., Palm Harbor 34684

 1.2