Depending on where you live along the First Coast, early voting has either started or will start at some point this week for the March 19 Presidential Preference Primary.

The election is a closed primary, which means that only registered Republicans will be able to vote for a candidate for the party’s nomination.

This week, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley announced she was suspending her campaign for president, leaving just former President Donald Trump as the remaining major candidate for the GOP nomination for president.

Michael Binder, a political science professor at the University of North Florida, said Haley’s departure will lower voter turnout for this election by possibly a couple percentage points.

“Even though nominally Nikki Haley was in the race, essentially this race has been decided for a couple of months now,” Binder said. “Trump was very clearly the leader and was ultimately going to win. But that being said, if you’re a registered Republican and you want to go vote, there are seven names on the ballot.”

The Republican candidates that will appear on the ballot are Texas businessman and pastor Ryan Binkley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and Trump. That is the order in which the names will appear on a person’s ballot.

The reason those candidates remain on the ballot is because the deadline to withdraw their names from the presidential primary in Florida was Dec. 12.

Late last year, the Florida Democratic Party submitted only President Joe Biden as a candidate so there is no Democratic primary.

Even though the general election cycle is essentially already here, since the last two remaining presidential candidates are Trump and Biden, people should still be exercising their right to vote, Binder said.

If you are plan to vote early, you will need to bring an acceptable form of identification like a driver’s licence or a passport when you go to vote.

If you have a vote-by-mail ballot, that will need to be returned to your supervisor of elections office no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Duval County

Early voting in Duval County runs from March 8 through March 16. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at these locations:

• Argyle Branch Library — 7973 Old Middleburg Road S., Jacksonville.
• Balis Community Center — 1513 La Salle St., Jacksonville.
• Beaches Branch Library — 600 3rd St. Neptune Beach.
• Bradham & Brooks Branch Library — 1755 Edgewood Ave W., Jacksonville.
• Charles Webb Wesconnett Regional Library — 6887 103rd St., Jacksonville.
• EWU Shell-Sweet Resource Wellness Center — 1697 Kings Road, Jacksonville.
• Florida State College at Jacksonville Deerwood — 9911 Old Baymeadows Road, Jacksonville.
• Highlands Regional Library — 1826 Dunn Ave., Jacksonville.
• Holiday Inn Bartram Park South — 13934 Village Lake Circle, Jacksonville.
• Legends Community Center — 5130 Soutel Drive, Jacksonville.
• Mandarin Branch Library — 3330 Kori Road, Jacksonville.
• Maxville Branch Library — 8375 Maxville Blvd., Jacksonville.
• Oceanway Community Center — 12215 Sago Ave. W., Jacksonville.
• Pablo Creek Regional Library — 13295 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville.
• Police Athletic League — 3450 Monument Road, Jacksonville.
• Regency Square Branch Library — 9900 Regency Square Blvd., Jacksonville.
• South Mandarin Branch Library — 12125 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville.
• Southeast Regional Library — 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd., Jacksonville.
• Southside Community Center — 10080 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville.
• Supervisor of Elections — 105 East Monroe St., Jacksonville.
• UF/IFAS Extension Duval County — 1010 N. McDuff Ave., Jacksonville.
• University Park Branch Library — 3435 University Blvd. N., Jacksonville.
• West Branch Library — 1425 Chaffee Road S., Jacksonville.
• Willow Branch Library — 2875 Park St., Jacksonville.

There are more early voting locations in Duval County for this election cycle in Duval County as a result of a lawsuit settlement. You’ll be required to use a touch screen ballot machine, which will spit out a marked paper ballot that you will place into the tabulator.

Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland says the touch screen machines are not connected to the internet so no one can hack into the system to change someone’s vote.

Baker County

Early voting in Baker County runs from March 7 through March 16. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The only early voting location is the Supervisor of Elections Office at 32 N. 5th Street, Suite A, Macclenny.

Clay County

Early voting in Clay County runs from March 8 to March 16. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at these locations:

• Eagle Landing Residents Club — 3975 Eagle Landing Parkway, Orange Park.
• Fleming Island Library –1895 Town Center Blvd., Fleming Island.
• Keystone Heights City Hall — 555 S. Lawrence Blvd., Keystone Heights.
• Middleburg Civic Center — 2102 Palmetto St., Middleburg.
• Orange Park Library — 2054 Plainfield Ave., Orange Park.
• Supervisor of Elections Office — 500 N. Orange Ave., Green Cove Springs.
• Thrasher-Horne Conference Center — 283 College Drive, Orange Park.

Nassau County

Early voting in Nassau County runs from March 6 through March 16. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at five sites.

• Atlantic Rec Center — 2500 Atlantic Ave. Fernandina Beach.
• Hilliard Community Center — 37177 Pecan St., Hilliard.
• James S. Page Governmental Complex — 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee.
• Walter Junior Boatright County Building — 45401 N. Mickler St., Callahan.
• Yulee Sports Complex — 86142 Goodbread Road, Yulee. 

Putnam County

Early voting in Nassau County runs from March 4 through March 16. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at three locations.

• Supervisor of Elections Office — 2509 Crill Ave., Suite 900, Palatka.
• Interlachen Community Center — 135 S. County Road 315, Interlachen.
• South Putnam County Government Complex — 115 N. Summit St., Crescent City.

St. Johns County

Early voting in St. Johns County runs from March 9 through March 16. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at these sites:

• Ponte Vedra Branch Library — 101 Library Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach.
• Julington Creek Annex — 725 Flora Branch Blvd., St. Johns.
• Supervisor of Elections Office — 4455 Avenue A, Suite 101, St. Augustine.
• St. Augustine Beach City Hall — 2200 State Road A1A South, St. Augustine.
• Southeast Branch Library — 6670 U.S. 1 S., St. Augustine.
• Hastings Branch Library — 6195 S. Main St, Hastings.

Voters in St. Augustine will be the only ones in Northeast Florida with a chance to vote for something other than a GOP presidential candidate. Voters there, regardless of party affiliation, will be asked a question regarding police pensions. 

The question asks voters if they would like the city of St. Augustine to move the police pension sections currently found in the city charter to the regular municipal code. The city says a yes vote would allow for future police pension rules to be changed by an ordinance rather than a referendum to the city charter