Letter: South St. Petersburg Voters Deserve an Accessible Early Voting Site

3/27/26

TALLAHASSEE – All Voting is Local, Black Voters Matter, the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area, and a broad coalition including elected officials, neighborhood associations, places of worship, and local, statewide, and national nonpartisan civic engagement organizations sent a letter to Pinellas Supervisor of Elections Julie Marcus to urge her to open an early voting site in South St. Petersburg. 

“Voters in South St. Petersburg continue to face limited access due to the lack of an early voting site,” the letter reads. “Currently, the only early voting site serving South Pinellas County for the 2026 primary elections is located downtown at the Supervisor of Elections Office. A second early voting site in Gulfport will only open during the general election. For many voters in this area, the lack of other early voting sites raises both logistical and historical concerns that warrant thoughtful consideration.”

Black voters in the South St. Petersburg area would especially benefit from another early voting site. Gulfport was known as a sundown town marred by racial violence, and data has revealed that Black voters are still reluctant to vote in Gulfport, as voters in Child’s Park, just east of Gulfport, often travel farther to vote in person downtown, despite Gulfport being the closer location. 

This is why it is crucial that the supervisor of elections create at least one early voting location in a predominantly Black neighborhood of South St. Petersburg, preferably within Child’s Park or the 33711 and 33712 ZIP codes.

“We are proud to join this coalition of local, state, and national leaders and organizations to advocate for an additional early voting site in South St. Petersburg,” said Jackie Azis, President of the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area. “Adding an additional early voting site will expand voter access to the ballot and help address racial disparities in voter turnout in Pinellas County.”

The full letter can be found here.

All Voting is Local (“All Voting”) is a 501(c)(3), nonpartisan organization that fights on the ground in eight states for free and fair elections. All Voting advocates for voters and supports state and local officials in adopting policies and practices that ensure the American people choose their leaders, not the other way around. All Voting works year-round with our partners to prevent partisan interference in our elections, advance fair and inclusive rules on voter registration, and remove barriers that make it more difficult for people to vote – particularly for Black, Brown, Native American, and other historically marginalized communities. Learn more at www.AllVotingisLocal.org