Election officials urge Southwest Floridians to register to vote, have a voice

The Florida Primary is just weeks away and the deadline to register is in a matter of days.

Voters will decide on key issues and select leaders who will shape our state for years to come.

So how do you get more people to the polls?

Voter Ruth Catapano, says registering to vote is a process that’s a no brainer. “I think a lot of times they’re like, ‘well my votes not going to count'”

A new Pew Research survey shows even though 75 percent of people say voting is a sign of being a good citizen, above paying taxes and following the law, millions are either not registering or registering and still not voting.

Vicki Collins, spokeswoman for the Lee County Elections Office, “We are out anywhere and everywhere we can possibly be providing voter registration.”

With a deadline to register for primaries in just 10 days, there’s a bigger push from our local election offices to get people to do the simple first step of registering.

Trish Robertson with the County Elections Office said, “We’re doing everything we can with outreach events, we’re in the schools, we’re promoting online voter registration.”

But registering is only half the battle.

“I don’t think enough people are voting and I’m one of them, I’m guilty,” said Pam Novakovich, despite being registered to vote, “It’s so important and yet we get so busy in our lives it just becomes well somebody will vote and hopefully it will work out the way I want it to.”

Election offices say your voice and vote matters, whether at the local or state level, these are decisions that will directly affect you and your family.

RESOURCE

Register to vote and see a sample ballot through your local supervisor of elections:

Lee County

Collier County

Charlotte County

Hendry County

Glades County