(AP/WPTV) - Early voting in Florida's contested presidential primary is starting.
Several counties are scheduled to open early voting sites on Monday. The mandatory early voting period runs starts Saturday through March 12, but the law now allows election supervisors to open polling places a few days earlier.
Seventeen counties, including Okeechobee, Duval, Hillsborough, Lake, Miami-Dade, Orange and Santa Rosa, are scheduled to open polling places for early voting. Counties usually set up early voting sites in libraries and government buildings.
Early voting in Okeechobee County is being held at the historic courthouse from 8:30 am - 4:30 p.m. through March 12.
Early voting in Pam Beach County is March 5 through March 13 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
In Martin County, you can vote in person anytime from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 5-12 at the Elections Center in Stuart, or at the County Line Civic Center on S.E. County Line Road in Tequesta.
Early voting in St. Lucie County will be held March 5-12 at four locations from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
In Indian River County, residents can vote early March 5-12 from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at three locations.
Florida's presidential primary is March 15 and only voters who are already registered Democrat or Republican may vote in it.
While many candidates have pulled out of the race, the ballot will feature 13 Republican candidates and three Democratic ones.
