Florida Presidential Preference Primary Voter Guide (ContributorNetwork)

The Florida presidential preference primary is the next contest in the 2012 GOP nomination process. There are four candidates still in the running for Florida's delegates. The Sunshine State will be the largest state in the early primary races for the Republican Party in terms of population.

Here is a voter guide for Florida residents hoping to cast their votes for Newt Gingrich, Rep. Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, or Rick Santorum.

How to Vote

The presidential preference primary is Jan. 31. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Florida is a closed primary state, meaning you have to be registered as a Republican to vote in the GOP primary. Voters in Florida needed to register by Jan. 3 or change their party affiliation by that date.

Voting happens with an optical scan voting machine. In 2007, Florida mandated that all counties use the same voting system. The way it works that polling officials will hand you a paper ballot, fill in ovals next to the choices you make, then insert your ballot into the optical scanner. The scanning machine will verify that you have voted properly before you leave.

What to Bring

In Florida, registered voters must bring a valid picture identification with a signature. Valid forms of ID include a Florida driver's license, Florida identification card, U.S. passport, military identification, student ID, or even a debit/credit card. You must have a photo with a signature on the same identification card.

Candidates

Candidates had to register in Florida by Oct. 31. Nine candidates registered in Florida's primary across the state. Even though four candidates have dropped out, Rep. Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Jon Huntsman and Texas Gov. Rick Perry are still on the ballot.

Registration

Florida has just more than 4 million Republican voters registered for the upcoming election out of 11.2 million voters total. Voters may check their status on the Florida elections website. The state has 67 counties where voters will turn out to make their choice for the GOP nomination. In 2008, 42 percent of all voters turned out for the presidential preference primary.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120122/pl_ac/10869253_florida_presidential_preference_primary_voter_guide

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