ORLANDO, Fla. — Registered voters in Osceola and Volusia counties will decide the fate of multimillion-dollar sales-tax referendums in May for roads and other infrastructure projects. But time is running out if you want to cast a ballot and haven't registered to vote.

People who are already registered don't have to do anything — other than vote — if they wish to participate in the tax referendums for their respective counties. Both counties are saying tourists will be paying a large portion of the taxes, easing the burden on Central Florida residents.

However, the voting process is different between Volusia and Osceola counties.

For Volusia Voters

Volusia is holding its first mail-in only election to determine the fate of the half-cent local-option sales tax. Ballots will be automatically mailed May 1 to all 400,003 registered voters.

There will be no early voting or in-precinct voting. The ballots can be mailed to Volusia County's Supervisor of Elections Office using the postage-paid envelope that comes with the ballot.

However, voters also have the option of hand-delivering their ballots to the main election office in DeLand by 7 p.m. May 21. Volusia County Supervisor of Elections Lisa Lewis is also placing locked boxes in each of Volusia's 16 cities for voters to drop off their ballots. The ballots will be picked up from the boxes daily.

Lewis said it is imperative that voters sign the envelopes. If your signature has changed because of an injury or other reason, make sure to update it with the Department of Elections before May 21.

"Your signature on file is used to verify signatures on petitions, vote-by-mail ballots and provisional ballots," Volusia's website says. "If your signature does not match, your petition or ballot may not count."

The tax, if approved, would raise the sales tax from 6.5 to 7 percent. It would generate $45 million annually for such infrastructure as roads, sidewalks, bridges, water quality, stormwater and flood control. Cities will receive a share of the revenue based on population. It will begin January 1, 2020.

A 17-member committee will be set up to oversee the equitable distribution of the tax revenue in Volusia County.

More information about Volusia's measure can be found at its Half-Cent Local Infrastructure Sales Tax FAQs. Volusia's election's website is at volusiaelections.org.

For Osceola Voters

Osceola County Supervisor of Elections Mary Jane Arrington is holding a traditional election. (The deadline for unregistered voters to sign up is Monday, April 22). 

Voters can request mail-in ballots, cast ballots at early voting locations, or precinct vote on Election Day, May 21.

If approved, Osceola's sales tax would jump from 7.5 to 8.5 percent for three decades, raising $67 million annually. Osceola has 214,820 voters. Early voting begins May 13 and ends May 19. For more details about Osceola elections, check out its website.

Osceola County says it needs the additional revenue to keep up with growth and plan for the future.

"Right now, Osceola County has more than a $1.1 billion backlog of road construction needs," Osceola County says online. "More than $250 million is needed to fill in existing sidewalk gaps, and $445 million is needed to build new recreational bicycle and pedestrian trails for residents. The money would pay for roads and bridges, expand public transit options, fix potholes, enhance bus services, relieve rush hour bottlenecks, improve intersections, and make walking and biking safer."

Read more about Osceola's proposal at osceola.org/one-cent-surtax-for-transportation.

Osceola revenue could be used for SunRail, but Volusia sales-tax revenue will not be used for Central Florida's commuter-rail system.