February 6, 2020 (Orange County, FL) — It’s one thing to have emotions run all over the place, about the Impeachment of Donald John Trump and it’s another to do something about it.

There are 11 Democratic candidates still in the 2020 Presidential race. There are also two candidates on the Republican side, running against Trump, according to the latest news reports. The deadline to register to vote in the Florida Presidential Preference Primary election when you can choose one of those candidates is Tuesday, February 18.

Let your voice be heard: make sure you are registered where you live and then, VOTE.

The primary election is on March 17 and you must be registered with either the Democratic Party or Republican Party. Pick one, if you haven’t already, because Florida is a closed primary state, meaning only Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary election and only Republicans can vote in theirs.

“About 30 percent of Orange County registered voters have no party affiliation,” said Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles in a recent press release. “Unless they update their party affiliation by Feb. 18, they will not have the chance to vote in the Presidential Preference Primary.”

Many people move into the state and between counties within the state and often forget to update their registration with their new address and/or name changes. Some new to the state don’t know it’s a closed primary state and that they have to pick a party in order to vote, the press release noted. (Not all states have closed primaries like Florida.)

Per election officials, Feb. 18 is also the deadline to vote in six upcoming city elections: Apopka, Belle Isle, Eatonville, Maitland, Winter Garden and Winter Park. (City Elections are just as important as national elections because most of our immediate needs have to do with what’s happening in our local communities.)

Early voting for both the Presidential Preference Primary and the city elections will be held daily March 2 – March 15, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is 5 p.m. on March 7.

On Dec. 18, Trump became only the third president in U.S. history to be impeached. A fourth, Richard Nixon, resigned before he was formally impeached. A majority of the House of Representatives voted to impeach him for Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress. The Senate acquitted Trump on Feb. 5, in what some called an invalid trial because Republican senators (Senate majority) voted against hearing any key witnesses and reviewing any key documents. Basically, no first hand evidence was presented. Trump’s acquittal came a day after he delivered his State of the Union speech.

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The best way to check your registration status is go to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections website: at http://www.ocfelections.com or call the office at (407) 836-2070.

Orlando Community News, 2020