Manatee County registered voters can apply now to vote by mail this year, including balloting for the Aug. 18 primary and the Nov. 3 general election.
To apply, go to votemanatee.com and click on the “Vote by Mail and Early Voting” link.
A voter does not have to be absent from the county of residence or require an excuse to vote by mail.
Also, one request covers elections through the next two regularly scheduled general elections.
The Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office also has opened voter registration for the August primary. Registration will close at 5 p.m. July 20.
Candidate qualifying starts in June
Candidate qualifying in Anna Maria will open at noon June 1 and close at noon June 12. Commission seats held by Amy Tripp and Mark Short and the mayoral post held by Dan Murphy are up for election.
Qualifying in Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach will begin at noon June 8 and end at noon June 12. Commission seats held by Marilyn Maro and Ralph Cole are up for election in Bradenton Beach. In Holmes Beach, the mayoral post held by Judy Titsworth and commission seats held by Pat Morton and Kim Rash are up for election.
Qualifying also is June 8-12 for those seeking to run for state legislative and Manatee County offices, including the board of county commissioners.
Up for election are commission seats held by Priscilla Whisenant Trace, District 1; Stephen Jonsson, District 3; Vanessa Baugh, District 5; and Betsy Benac, District 7.
Trace, a Republican, is the only active candidate in her district, with more than $46,000 in political contributions.
In District 3, which includes Anna Maria Island, Republicans Matthew J. Bower and Kevin Van Ostenbridge are active candidates. Ostenbridge was endorsed by Jonsson, who is not running again, and has more than $86,000 in contributions. Bower, who lost to Jonsson in 2016, has no money reported and announced earlier in April he would not accept contributions from developers.
In District 5, Baugh is an active candidate with more than $72,000 in contributions.
In countywide District 7, Benac is not seeking reelection. Three other Republicans are active — Paul Finer, Edwin Hunzeker and George Kruse. Hunzeker, who was county administrator 2007-19, has about $52,000 in contributions; Kruse, $13,000; and Finer, $8,000.
Qualifying for judicial office and Congress closed April 24.
Details about voter registration, as well as candidate qualifying and more, can be found online at votemanatee.com.
— Lisa Neff