Florida voting: When is the registration deadline and how can I check?

The state has unique rules in order for voters to partake in its primary system

Florida's 'closed primary' system requires voters to affiliate with a specific party in order to partake in their primaries. (REUTERS)

Florida voters are rushing to meet a registration deadline for the state’s “closed primary” system, ahead of the upcoming 2018 midterm elections.

Several candidates across parties are vying for the governor’s seat, including Republican Congressman Ron DeSantis and Democrat Gwen Graham, a former representative from Tallahassee.

Both are leading the polls in their respective primaries, followed by state agriculture secretary Adam Putnam and former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, respectively.

Monday marked the final day voters could switch parties in order to partake in the upcoming primary election, arriving on 28 August. Voters who wished to change their affiliation could do so by visiting public libraries, driver’s license offices, military recruitment centres or county elections offices, by the end of the day.

Florida residents who have not yet registered to vote could do so online by the end of Monday and affiliate with a specific party in order to participate in its primary.

There are several ways residents can ensure they’re registered to participate in the primaries by the Monday deadline. Websites like HeadCount provide free guidance in checking registration status, as well as additional tools if one is not yet registered to vote. Voters can also call their county or city election boards to verify all of their information is correct, and in some cases they may be eligible to register by phone.

The federal government also has a voting website with additional information on voter registration in each state.

Early voting throughout the states begins in Miami-Dade County on August 13. Though the highly-populated Miami area is typically represented by Democrats, Florida itself is a large swing state with tremendous influence in national elections.

With Mr DeSantis and Ms Graham leading the polls, the governor’s race in Florida may already represent the fight for control over power in Washington. Democrats are hoping for a “blue wave” in 2018, in which the left takes over Republican-held positions across the country.

Rick Scott, the current Republican governor of Florida, announced in April he would run against incumbent Senator Bill Nelson for his seat in 2018. Mr Nelson is the only current statewide-elected Democratic official.

The Democratic Party is viewing Florida in 2018 as a potential for big gains, with over 70,000 Puerto Ricans having moved to the state after Hurricane Maria devastated the US territory. Many of those new residents have expressed dismay over Republican leadership’s handling of the humanitarian crisis.