The deadline to register to vote for Gainesville’s March mayoral and city commission races is Feb. 19.
Residents can register online at VoteAlachua.com, in person at the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office, located at 111 SE First Ave., or by mail, according to Supervisor of Elections Office’s press release.
To register, a person must be a U.S. citizen, a legal resident of Alachua County and at least 18 years old.
Registrations completed online must be printed, signed and returned to the Elections Office, according to the release.
The office is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
It also has an after-hours drop box located at the main entrance.
Registrations received through the drop box will be accepted until midnight Feb. 19.
Mail-in applications must be postmarked no later than the registration deadline, according to the release.
The races on this year’s ballot are for the mayoral and District 4 City Commission seats.
All registered Gainesville voters can vote in the mayoral race, but only District 4 residents, which consists of most of UF’s campus and areas north of West University Avenue, can vote in the District 4 race.
Amber Benuck, 25, has lived in Gainesville for eight years.
She said she plans on voting in the March 19 election because city elections directly impact residents’ lives.
“So many people tend to think the national election is more important than the city election when it’s the reverse,” she said.
Peter Boemler, a 21-year-old UF alumnus, said he plans to vote because he believes the student population can make a difference.
College students tend to be liberal, supporting bigger government, he said, and their decisions can weigh down locals.
“A lot of times, students can affect the outcome of a city they’re only going to live in for four years max,” he said.
