Florida 2026 elections

Contests on the board in Florida

The general-election contests the Ledger tracks in Florida, each with the raters' current call, the newest public polling and the money reported.

Candidate profiles from Florida

FL-13 · Florida

Anna Paulina Luna

Second-term Republican for Florida's 13th District, Air Force veteran and Oversight task-force chair, seeking a third term against Democrat Leela Gray.

Read Anna Paulina Luna's recordThe race

FL-22 · Florida

Casey Askar

Marine Corps veteran and restaurant franchiser Casey Askar is the 2026 Republican nominee in Florida’s redrawn 22nd District: service, business, finances.

Read Casey Askar's recordThe race

FL-19 · Florida

Jim Schwartzel

Fort Myers broadcaster Jim Schwartzel, president of Sun Broadcasting, is the 2026 Republican nominee in Florida’s 19th District: business, money, primary.

Read Jim Schwartzel's recordThe race

FL-14 · Florida

Mike Beltran

Former Florida House member (2018–2024), Tampa attorney and Republican nominee for Congress in Florida's redrawn 14th District against Kathy Castor.

Read Mike Beltran's recordThe race

FL-7 · Florida

Ryan Elijah

Former Fox 35 Orlando anchor, 2026 Republican nominee in Florida's 7th District after unseating Rep. Cory Mills: career, canvass, filings, priorities.

Read Ryan Elijah's recordThe race

Key dates and deadlines

Read from the Florida Department of State, Division of Elections on Sep 17, 2026. The authority's own page, linked beside each date, is the final word — confirm it before you act.

• Voter registration deadlineOctober 5, 2026 is the deadline to register to vote (book closing) for the November 3, 2026 general election. State law closes the registration books on the 29th day before each election. The cutoff depends on how you apply (online, by mail or in person); see the items that follow. dos.fl.gov
• Online registration deadlineOctober 5, 2026, 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) to submit an electronic application through RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov, according to the Division of Elections' online voter registration FAQ (updated August 2022). The FAQ adds that an application submitted after the deadline is still processed and takes effect for the next election. files.floridados.gov
• Registration deadline by mail (postmark)A paper application sent by mail must be postmarked no later than October 5, 2026, the 29th day before the election, according to the Division of Elections' online voter registration FAQ (updated August 2022). Mail the statewide application (Form DS-DE 39) to your county Supervisor of Elections. files.floridados.gov
• Registration deadline in personA paper application delivered in person must be submitted by close of business in your county of residence on October 5, 2026, according to the Division of Elections' online voter registration FAQ (updated August 2022). In-person options listed by the Division: any County Supervisor of Elections' office, any tax collector's office or other office that issues Florida driver licenses or Florida identification cards (through an electronic intake process), and any designated voter registration agency (per the Division's 2026 Voter Registration and Voting Guide). files.floridados.gov
• Vote-by-mail ballots start being sentSeptember 24, 2026 through October 1, 2026 is the window in which county Supervisors of Elections send vote-by-mail ballots to domestic voters whose requests are already on file. Ballots for military and overseas (UOCAVA) voters must be sent by September 19, 2026. For a later request, the Supervisor must mail the ballot within 2 business days, and no later than October 24, 2026. dos.fl.gov
• Early voting beginsOctober 24, 2026 is the first day of the 8-day mandatory early voting period, offered in every county. A county may add optional early voting days from October 19, 2026 through October 23, 2026; contact your county Supervisor of Elections for the days offered where you live. files.floridados.gov
• Early voting endsOctober 31, 2026 is the last day of the mandatory early voting period. A county may also offer one more optional day, November 1, 2026; contact your county Supervisor of Elections. Early voting hours must be at least 8 hours and no more than 12 hours a day at each site. files.floridados.gov
• Deadline to request that a vote-by-mail ballot be mailedOctober 22, 2026, no later than 5 p.m.: the deadline for your county Supervisor of Elections to receive a request for a vote-by-mail ballot to be mailed to you (the 12th day before the election). After that, a ballot can still be picked up in person; from the start of mandatory early voting on October 24, 2026 through Election Day, pickup also requires an affidavit affirming that an emergency keeps the voter from voting at an early voting site or at the assigned polling place. files.floridados.gov
• Deadline to return a vote-by-mail ballot (received, not postmarked)November 3, 2026 (Election Day), 7 p.m. (local time): the Supervisor of Elections' office must receive your voted ballot by then, regardless of postmark. Secure drop boxes at Supervisors' main and branch offices accept ballots until 7:00 p.m. (local time) on Election Day. Exception for overseas voters: a mailed ballot postmarked or signed and dated no later than Election Day counts if it is received by November 13, 2026. files.floridados.gov
• Election DayNovember 3, 2026 (Tuesday). dos.fl.gov
• Poll hoursPolls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. (local time) on Election Day, November 3, 2026. Any voters waiting in line at 7:00 p.m. will have the opportunity to vote. On Election Day you must vote at your assigned precinct's polling location. dos.fl.gov

Official voting tools

These links go to the state's own tools. The Ledger does not collect registrations or ballots.

Rules to know

• What to bring

  Whether you vote during early voting or on Election Day, you must bring a current and valid photo ID with signature. The Division of Elections lists these acceptable photo IDs: Florida driver license; Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles; United States passport; debit or credit card; military identification; student identification; retirement center identification; neighborhood association identification; public assistance identification; veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs; license to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06, Florida Statutes; and employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality. If your photo ID does not include your signature, you will be asked to provide another ID that has your signature. If you do not bring proper ID, you can still vote a provisional ballot; it counts if you are eligible, voted in the proper precinct, and the signature on the provisional ballot matches the signature in your registration record. A voter who votes a provisional ballot may present further evidence of eligibility to the Supervisor of Elections until 5 p.m. (local time) on November 5, 2026, the second day after the election. Read from: dos.fl.gov

• Voting by mail

  In Florida a voter has the option to vote by mail, at an early voting site, or at the assigned polling location on Election Day. Request a vote-by-mail ballot from the Supervisor of Elections in the county where you are registered: by signed writing on Form DS-DE 160, the Statewide Vote-by-Mail Ballot Request Form (by mail, online, fax or as a scanned attachment to an email), in person, or by phone. Give your name, date of birth, address, and your Florida driver license number, Florida identification card number or the last four digits of your Social Security number, whichever the Supervisor can verify, plus your signature if the request is written; a signed written request is required if the ballot is to go to an address other than the one on file. A request to have the ballot mailed must reach the Supervisor no later than 5 p.m. on October 22, 2026. A request covers all elections through the end of the calendar year of the next regularly scheduled general election; after that it must be renewed. Return the voted ballot by mail or in person, or deposit it in a secure drop box (secure ballot intake station) at a Supervisor's main or branch office or at a designated early voting site. It must be received, regardless of postmark, by the Supervisor of Elections' office no later than 7:00 p.m. (local time) on November 3, 2026; the Division passes along the U.S. Postal Service's recommendation to mail it at least one week before that deadline. A voted vote-by-mail ballot cannot be dropped off at a polling place on Election Day. To vote in person instead, bring the ballot (marked or unmarked) to the polls, turn it in and vote a regular ballot. Read from: dos.fl.gov

• Early voting in person

  Eligible and registered voters can vote before Election Day at any designated early voting site within their county of registration during early voting days and hours. For the November 3, 2026 general election, every county must offer early voting from October 24, 2026 through October 31, 2026; a Supervisor of Elections may add days as early as October 19, 2026 and as late as November 1, 2026. Each site must be open at least 8 hours and no more than 12 hours a day. The Division of Elections says its statewide list of early voting sites and secure ballot intake stations for the general election will be available after October 4, 2026; your county Supervisor of Elections' website has the specific dates, times and locations. Bring a current and valid photo ID with signature (see What to bring). Secure ballot intake stations for returning vote-by-mail ballots are placed at early voting sites and other authorized areas, are available only at the hours specified by law, and are continuously monitored by an employee of the Supervisor's office. Read from: dos.fl.gov

• Track your vote-by-mail ballot

  Ballot tracking in Florida runs through the county Supervisors of Elections. The Division of Elections' Vote-by-Mail Ballot Information and Status Lookup page links to each county's site, where you can request a vote-by-mail ballot and track the status of your request and your ballot. The statewide Voter Information Lookup is for checking your voter registration and party status: enter your first name, last name and birth date as they appear in your registration record. For your polling place, sample ballot and vote-by-mail ballot status, that tool directs you to your Supervisor of Elections' website. Read from: dos.fl.gov

• Fixing a missing or mismatched signature

  The Supervisor of Elections must notify you if your signature is missing from the vote-by-mail ballot certificate or does not match the one on record. To correct it, complete the Vote-by-Mail Ballot Cure Affidavit (Form DS-DE 139) and include a copy of identification; the form and the copy of the ID can be returned by mail, email, fax, or in person. For the November 3, 2026 general election the deadline is 5 p.m. (local time) on November 5, 2026, the 2nd day after the election. The same deadline applies to an affidavit curing a missing or mismatched signature on a provisional ballot. Read from: dos.fl.gov

• Voting after a felony conviction

  The Division of Elections states that a felony conviction in Florida for murder or a sexual offense makes a person ineligible to vote in Florida unless and until the person's right to vote is restored by the State Clemency Board. It continues: “For any other felony conviction in Florida, a person is eligible to register and vote if the person has completed all terms of his or her sentence.” Completion of the sentence means prison or jail time; parole, probation, or other forms of supervision; and payment of the total amount of all fines, fees, costs, and restitution ordered as part of the felony sentence. A felony conviction in another state makes a person ineligible to vote in Florida only if the conviction would make the person ineligible to vote in the state where the person was convicted. A person who is unsure about fines, fees, costs and restitution can ask the Division of Elections for an advisory opinion. Read from: dos.fl.gov

On the statewide ballot

Offices on the November 3, 2026 statewide ballot, per the Florida Department of State, Division of Elections:

U.S. Senate · Governor and Lieutenant Governor · Attorney General · Chief Financial Officer · Commissioner of Agriculture

Questions and answers