Polls are open in Marion County for today’s special primary election as five Republican candidates look to fill the Florida House seat that was vacated by indicted former State Rep. Joseph Harding.
Harding, who is known for introducing the controversial Parental Rights and Education bill, was indicted by a federal grand jury on allegations of wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements on December 7, 2022. The following day, Harding resigned from his seat in the Florida House of Representatives.
Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on December 19, 2022, setting the election dates to fill the vacant seat in House District 24.
The primary election is being held today, and the following five Republican candidates are listed on the ballot:
Justin Albright
Ryan Chamberlin
Jose Juarez
Stephen Pyles
Charlie Stone
The winner of today’s primary election will go on to face a write-in candidate, Robert “Foxy” Fox, in the general election that will take place on Tuesday, May 16.
Florida is a closed primary election state, which means that only registered republicans who reside within House District 24 are eligible to vote in this election. Voters must vote at their assigned voting location in the precinct in which they reside, and polls will remain open until 7 p.m.
Below are the voting locations in House District 24:
Voters must present a current and valid photo and signature ID in order to cast their vote. All vote-by-mail ballots must be received by the Elections Office by no later than 7 p.m. today in order to be counted.
To view a sample ballot, assigned voting location, or mail ballot status, visit the Marion County Supervisor of Elections website.