Primary Election Voting Approaches

ORG. IF YOU WANT TO VOTE BY MAIL. THE LEE COUNTY SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS REMIND YOU THAT THE DEADLINE TO REQUEST A VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT IS 05:00PM AUGUST 6TH. THOSE BALLOTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE ELECTIONS OFFICE NO LATER THAN 07:00PM ON PRIMARY DAY. AUGUST 18TH VOTERS CHOOSING TO RETURN THEIR VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT IN PERSON. THEY DO SO AT ANY OF THE LEE COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICES FROM 08:30AM, TO 05:00PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY OR AT EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS DURING THE EARLY VOTING PERIOD WHICH STARTS SATURDAY, AUGUST 8TH. FOR MORE ON VOTER INFORMATION FOR THE UPCOMING PRIMARY. I'M JOINED BY SANDY FRANK. THE PRESIDENT OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IN LEE COUNTY. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US IN STUDIO TODAY. >> THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME AND GLAD TO BE HERE. >> WHAT SHOULD VOTERS BE AWARE OF AS WE APPROACH PRIMARY DAY? >> SO VOTERS SHOULD BE CONCERNED BECAUSE VOTING IS FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR DEMOCRACY, SAID THEY SHOULD AND BE PREPARED TO VOTE, BE INFORMED ON THE ISSUES AND THE CANDIDATES AND TO GO TO THE BALLOT BOX TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HERD AND THERE ARE 3 WAYS THAT VOTERS CAN VOTE. THEY CAN VOTE BY MAIL THEY CAN STILL REQUEST A VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT UP UNTIL AUGUST 5TH. THEY CAN GO TO THE POLLS DURING EARLY VOTING WHICH STARTS SATURDAY AUGUST 8TH AND CONTINUES UNTIL ON AUGUST. 15TH OR THEY CAN VOTE ON ELECTION DAY. AND WE ENCOURAGE VOTERS TO MAKE A PLAN. AND IF THEY HAVE A VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT, WE ENCOURAGE THAT BECAUSE IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, THEY CAN'T GET TO THE POLLS. THEY CAN STILL MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD BY SUBMITTING THEIR VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT. >> WHY IS THE PRIMARY SO IMPORTANT? >> THE PRIMARY IS IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY IN LEE COUNTY BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME KEY RACES THAT WILL BE DECIDED IN THE PRIMARY. ONE OF THEM IS ONE OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 5 WILL BE ELECTED IN THE ELECTION. THE AUGUST 18TH ELECTION. IT'S CALLED THE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY. THERE ARE 2 CANDIDATES BOTH WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. THERE IS NO WEATHER CANDIDATE RUNNING. SO THE WINNER OF THE RACE ON AUGUST 18TH WILL BECOME THE DISTRICT 5 COMMISSIONER FOR LAKE COUNTY. THAT'S ONE IMPORTANT RACE. THERE ARE 4 SCHOOL BOARD RACES THAT ARE NON-PARTISAN. SO ALL VOTERS IN THE COUNTY, REGARDLESS OF THEIR PARTY AFFILIATION, IF THERE NO PARTY AFFILIATION, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN, THAT WILL BE ON THEIR BALLOT AND THEREFORE RACES, AT LEAST 2 OF THOSE RACES WILL BE DECIDED IN THE PRIMARY. AND 2 OF THEM MAY GO TO THE GENERAL OR MAKE MAY BE DECIDED IN THE AUGUST 18TH ELECTION BECAUSE IF ONE OF THE CANDIDATES RECEIVES AT LEAST 50%, PLUS ONE OF THE VOTES THAN THAT IS THE END OF THE RACE. SO THOSE ARE IMPORTANT RACES FOR LEE COUNTY. ALSO THE THERE OTHER NON-PARTISAN ELECTIONS. THE CITY OF CAPE CORAL HAS THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL RACE THERE, NUMBER OF CANADA'S AND IN EACH OF THOSE RACES, THE 2 HIGHEST VOTE-GETTERS WILL GO ON TO THE GENERAL. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO HELP SELECT TO THOSE WILL BE CAPE CORAL HAS 3 BALLOT AMENDMENTS NOW MEASURES IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY OF CAPE CORAL'S. THOSE ALSO THE SUNS AND CAPE CORAL WILL BE ABLE TO VOTE FOR THOSE. AND IN BONITA SPRINGS, THERE'S A VOTE ON THE BURR TRAIL TO BENITA ESTERO TRAIL AND THAT WILL BE A BOND MEASURE. SO THOSE ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF LEE COUNTY AND JUST THAT WE WANT CITIZENS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY CAN AND SHOULD VOTE FOR THOSE WHAT IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE? >> HAVE WITH VOTERS MAYBE NOT UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY NEED TO GET OUT AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS. >> SO I THINK THAT VOTERS THINK THAT THIS IS JUST FOR THE PARTIES. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE ALL VOTERS UNDERSTAND IT, THAT THERE ARE THESE NON-PARTISAN RACES AND THE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY THAT WILL AFFECT THEM. ELECTED OFFICIALS AFFECT ALL OF US IN OUR DAILY LIVES AND WE WANT ALL VOTERS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY SHOULD BE INVOLVED INFORMED AND INVOLVED IN THE DECISION-MAKING FOR WHO THOSE ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE. SO WE ALSO HAVE RESOURCES AVAILABLE SO THAT VOTERS CAN BE CONFIDENT IN MAKING THEIR CHOICES. ONE OF THEIR RESOURCES IS VOTE FOR 1, 1 DOT ORG. IT'S AN ONLINE VOTER GUIDE THAT PROVIDES INFORMATION ON NATIONAL STATE AND LOCAL RACES AND ALL VOTERS NEED TO DO IS TO GO TO VOTE FOR 1, 1, DOT ORG PUT IN THEIR ADDRESS AND THEY WILL FEED THE RACES THAT WILL BE ON THEIR BALLOT AT THE NATIONAL STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL AND SEE THE CANDIDATES AND WE HAVE ASKED ALL THE CANDIDATES TO RESPOND IN THEIR OWN WORDS TO A NUMBER OF ISSUES. THIS IS BY THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, EDUCATION FUND AND THEY WILL BE ABLE TO COMPARE THE RESPONSES OF THE OF THE CANDIDATES TO EACH OTHER AND MAKE DECISIONS ON WHO BEST MEETS CONCERNS AND VIEWS. >> ALL RIGHT, SANDY FRANK, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY. SHARON IS. >> SUPER IMPORTANT INFORMATION.