What Tampa Bay voters need to know before heading to the polls

Hey, it's Election Day!

Why it matters: Your vote will help decide our next governor, attorney general, agriculture commissioner, state Supreme Court justices and who will represent you in the U.S. Senate and House.

Catch up quick: Check out our voter guide for a breakdown of those key races.

Be smart: Make sure you know your polling place and bring the proper form of ID.

• Polls are open 7am-7pm. Any voters still in line by 7pm will get to cast a ballot.

Voting by mail: Mail-in ballots must be received by the supervisor of elections' office no later than 7pm today, otherwise they won't be counted.

• You can bring your mail-in ballot to a drop box, now called a "secure ballot intake station," at your local elections office.

What to expect: Local elections will likely be called based on tonight's unofficial results, unless the margins are too close.

• Larger races, like the one for governor or U.S. senator, may not be called tonight if enough votes aren't counted or results are too close.
• The Associated Press will not call statewide races before polls close in the Panhandle (which is in a time zone an hour behind the rest of the state) at 8pm ET.

🍩 Donut forget to pick up your free Krispy Kreme doughnut.