Feb 18 deadline for voter registration and party change ahead of primaries

Jacksonville, FL — If you're thinking about registering to vote or changing your party affiliation for the March 17 Presidential Primaries, the deadline is Tuesday, February 18.

Because Florida is a closed primary state, voters can only vote for candidates in their registered party during the presidential primaries.

This means, if you're a Democrat who plans on voting Republican, you'll have to switch your party affiliation to do so.

To register to vote or change party affiliations, go to RegistertoVoteFlorida.com.

To check your voter registration status, visit the Florida Department of State's voter information lookup.

A full schedule of election dates, mail-in ballot deadlines and early voting dates is available here.