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Want to vote in St. Petersburg’s general election? Deadline to register is Monday

The Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections mailed 92,522 ballots on Tuesday to St. Petersburg voters for the Nov. 2 general election.
 
The scene before the polls open for the St. Petersburg Primary Election at Lake Vista Recreation Center, 1401 62nd Ave S, on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021 in St. Petersburg.
The scene before the polls open for the St. Petersburg Primary Election at Lake Vista Recreation Center, 1401 62nd Ave S, on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021 in St. Petersburg. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]
Published Sept. 29, 2021|Updated Sept. 29, 2021

ST. PETERSBURG — Mail ballots are already on their way to voters for the city’s Nov. 2 general election, featuring mayoral and city council races as well as seven charter amendments and a referendum question.

The Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections announced that 92,522 ballots were mailed out Tuesday. Voters are advised to allow at least one week for their ballot to be returned by mail to the Supervisor of Elections office. Ballots must be received at one of three Elections Offices by 7 p.m. on Election Day; completed mail ballots cannot be accepted at polling places.

The Supervisor of Elections also said 1,382 ballots were mailed to absent military and overseas voters.

The last day to register to vote in the November election is Oct. 4.

To request a mail ballot, call 727-464-VOTE (8683) or email MailBallot@VotePinellas.gov by 5 p.m. Oct. 23.

There are 189,307 registered voters in St. Petersburg, according to the Supervisor of Elections office. In August, 29 percent of voters cast a ballot in the primary election.

In the first open mayoral race since 2009, voters will choose between Ken Welch and Robert Blackmon. Welch has racked up several endorsements, including from third-place primary finisher Darden Rice.

Blackmon, a current City Council member, got good news last week as his pet project of reviving the Science Center got a $2.1 million commitment from council.

Tampa Bay Times political editor Steve Contorno laid out how Blackmon can win the race and how Welch could become the city’s first Black mayor. While he seems to be omnipresent in politics, neither candidate has talked much about Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Times and Spectrum Bay News 9 will host a mayoral debate at 7 p.m. on Oct. 19.

As for City Council, there’s a tight race in District 1 between Copley Gerdes and Bobbie Shay Lee and a city-wide showdown in District 8 between Jeff Danner and Richie Floyd, who won 52 percent in the primary.

District 6 incumbent Gina Driscoll is being challenged by Mhariel Summers, and voters in District 4 will decide between Tom Mullins and Lisset Hanewicz, who could be the first Hispanic to serve on council.

Though the District 2 race appears on the ballot, it’s already been decided; Kyle Hall dropped out of the race this month, and incumbent Brandi Gabbard was automatically re-elected.