Voters looking to beat the Election Day lines can cast their ballot early starting Thursday.

Rescheduled due to Hurricane Irma, early voting for the Oct. 3 primary election will kick off next week and run through Sept. 30. Six polling sites in Lee County will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Supervisor of Elections Tommy Doyle requested the suspension, which the state granted, after assessing the polling sites after the storm. The number of people who evacuated also factored in.

“But we’ve confirmed everything and everything is ready to go,” he said this week.

While no further changes are planned for early voting, one precinct’s polling location has been moved for the Primary Election. Precinct 93 will vote at the Cape Alliance Church, at 4307 Skyline Blvd.

Doyle explained that there was a scheduling conflict after pushing back the election’s date.

As for early voting, people need to bring their photo signature identification.

“They need to bring an ID so we can prove their identification and signature,” he said.

Doyle noted that voters can go to any Cape Coral or Fort Myers early voting site.

Asked why people should consider voting early, he cited the convenience.

“You can vote at any location. You don’t have to go to your precinct,” Doyle said.

“You eliminate any line, at all, for Election Day voting,” he added.

The early voting sites are located at:

* Cape Coral-Lee County Library, 921 S.W. 39th Terrace

* Dunbar-Jupiter Hammon Public Library, 3095 Blount St., Fort Myers

* Fort Myers Fire Station No. 5, 9700 Treeline Ave., Fort Myers

* Fort Myers Regional Library, 2450 First St., Fort Myers

* Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers, 4224 Renaissance Preserve Way, Fort Myers

* Cape Coral-Lee County Elections Branch Office, 1039 S.E. Ninth Ave.

As of Thursday morning, approximately 29,000 vote-by-mail ballots had been requested by voters. Doyle reported that just less than half of those total ballots had been sent back by the same time.

“We’ve had about 14,000 returned and accepted,” he said.

The last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Wednesday at 5 p.m.

The ballots are due by 7 p.m. Oct. 3 – Election Day.

They can be put in the mail – postage is covered – or dropped off at one of the drop boxes.

“A lot of people forget to sign the ballot,” Doyle said. “Make sure they sign it with the signature that’s on file when they signed up to register to vote.”

If mailing a ballot, he suggested getting it in the mail early.

Otherwise, drop boxes are located at the:

* Cape Coral Branch Office, at 1039 S.E. Ninth Ave.: Until 3 p.m. Oct. 3

* Main Office, at 2480 Thompson St., Third Floor: Until 7 p.m. Oct. 3

Voters who would like to request one can contact the Lee County Elections Office at 239-LEE-VOTE (533-8683), email votebymail@lee.vote or visit: lee.vote/voters/vote-by-mail-request/.

Doyle encouraged all voters to get out and cast a ballot.

“Local elections are the most important elections because those are going to affect your life more than the federal or statewide elections,” he said. “Those are the people who affect your life the most.”

For more information about elections, candidates, early voting, mail ballots or precinct locations, contact the Lee County Elections Office at 239-LEE-VOTE (533-8683) or visit: lee.vote/.

The following races will be on the ballot for the Oct. 3 primary election:

City of Cape Coral

Mayor

* Joe Coviello

* Derrick Donnell

* Rana Erbrick

* April Freeman

* Michael D. Hollow

* Kevin Koch

* Daniel James Sheppard III

City Council District 1

* James Fredrick Foraker

* John Gunter

* Graham Madison Morris

City Council District 4

* Jeffrey Alan Jones

* Richard Leon (incumbent)

* Jennifer I. Nelson

All municipal candidate races are nonpartisan races meaning all registered voters can cast a ballot in each race.