Oct. 5 marks Florida voter registration deadline for November election

The voter registration deadline for the Nov. 3 general election is Monday, Oct. 5, and Charlotte County officials are reminding residents to act quickly to ensure they can participate. For some, like Charlotte County resident Noah Mallory, the deadline has come as a surprise. “I was not aware, and I think I will get registered for this next election,” Mallory said. Mallory also noted that issues like the economy and job market are motivating young voters. “It is very tough out there, especially because there is so much competition. Jobs are closing fast,” he said. Key races, including the governor’s race and a U.S. Senate seat, as well as an amendment to raise the homestead exemption, are expected to drive voter turnout. Charlotte County resident Casey Valle stressed the importance of voting. “I do think it's important because basically it's what we're going to have to do in the future, and we need to start looking forward to that,” Valle said. Charlotte County Supervisor of Elections Leah Valenti highlighted recent efforts to engage young voters through high school registration drives. “We just did our voter registration at the high schools and got a lot of high school students actively wanting to participate in our elections that we're registering,” Valenti said. Valenti expects nearly 70% voter turnout but issued a warning for current voters to verify their registration details. “Existing voters, please go online and make sure your voter registration information is accurate and up to date,” she said. Residents have two options to register before the deadline. They can visit the Supervisor of Elections office by 5 p.m. on Monday or register online until midnight that same day. Early voting begins Oct. 19 in Lee, Charlotte, and Hendry counties, Oct. 22 in Collier County, and Oct. 24 in Glades County. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.