UCF will host an early voting site beginning Monday at the Live Oak Event Center for the Aug. 18 primary election.

Early voting will run through Aug. 16 for registered Orange County voters of the UCF community and others from outside campus.

Elections workers will have complimentary face covers for those who arrive to vote but don’t have a cover.

The Orange County Supervisor of Elections office has sent information to voters about maintaining physical distance because of the coronavirus pandemic, bringing face coverings and, if they prefer, even their own pens to mark ballots, says Fred Kittinger, UCF’s senior associate vice president for Government and Community Relations. Elections workers will have complimentary face covers for those who arrive to vote but don’t have a cover.

This is a countywide primary election, so even voters who do not have a party affiliation listed can still vote. A photo ID and signature is required.

The event center at Ferrell Commons is near Garage B, which is across Gemini Boulevard from the Recreation and Wellness Center. Marked parking for voters will be on the first floor of the north side of the garage.

The voting site will be open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day

The Aug. 18 primary election voting will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., but on that day ballots can only be cast at the site by those registered to vote in that precinct.

UCF was recognized last year as a Voter Friendly Campus for initiatives to register and encourage students to vote. Washington Monthly also ranked the university as one of the 58 best in the nation for student voting.

The campus voting site fits in with UCF’s campaign to boost student registration and voting rates.

“The UCF Student Government will once again be active in promoting student voter registration, voter education and get-out-the-vote efforts,” Kittinger says.

Student Government soon will implement a voting campaign that will include educational videos, in-person and virtual civic-engagement events, and various incentives for students who register to vote or update their voter address, says Meg Hall, the SG’s governmental affairs coordinator.

“In response to the COVID 19 pandemic, we plan to use the IgKnight Your Vote initiative to inform members of the UCF community about their alternative options to voting in-person including absentee and mail-in ballots, as well as encourage the students who do vote in-person to be prepared to follow all campuswide safety procedures,” Hall says.

For sample ballots, details on mail-in voting and other information, voters can check out the supervisor of elections website.

For those not sure if they’re registered to vote, you can check your voter registration status online.