Early voting runs from Oct. 24 through Nov. 5 in Martin and Indian River counties and Nov. 6 in St. Lucie County. Voters must have registered by the Oct. 18 deadline to be eligible to cast a ballot.
If you can’t vote early, you still have until 5 p.m. Nov. 2 to request a vote-by-mail ballot. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 8. In St. Lucie County You can vote from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 24 through Nov. 5 and from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6, at any of these locations:
• Orange Blossom Business Center: 4132 Okeechobee Road, Fort Pierce
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Zora Neale Hurston Library: 3008 Avenue D, Fort Pierce
• Port St. Lucie Community Center: 2195 S.E. Airoso Blvd.
• Port St. Lucie Civic Center: 9221 S.E. Civic Center Place
• Parks Edge POA: 3201 S.W. Landale Blvd., Port St. Lucie
The 80-85 percent estimated voter turnout means about 159,650 of St. Lucie County’s 193,516 registered voters are expected to cast ballots. Registered Democrats are the majority, at 78,274 compared to 62,293 Republicans and 52,949 no-party and minor-party affiliates.
Voters in St. Lucie County will decide in November whether slot machines should be allowed where pari-mutuel betting is allowed. Locally, it would apply to expanded facilities at Fort Pierce Jai-Alai & Poker, which asked the County Commission to place the referendum on the ballot. If slots are added to the fronton on Kings Highway, owners plan to add a $100 million building and employ an estimated 500 people. Even if voters approve the referendum, the Florida Legislature would have to change state law, which now permits slots only in Miami-Dade and Broward counties and on Native American lands. Voters in Brevard and Palm Beach counties passed similar referenda in 2012, but have yet to see their first slot machine.
