Is Florida a closed primary state?
Yes, Florida is a closed primary state and only voters registered with a political party can vote in that party’s Primary Election. All voters can vote in nonpartisan races such as judicial, school board, municipal and referenda. The deadline to register to vote or change your party affiliation is 29 days before each election.
The deadline to register to vote or change your party affiliation for the 2026 Primary Election was July 20. You may check your voter registration status and party affiliation here.
On my ballot, for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor race, it states to "Vote for One", but how do you vote for one when there are two offices up for election?
The Executive Office of the Governor is one office. Governor and Lieutenant Governor candidates run as a pair in the race, so you are casting a single vote for the joint candidacies for Governor and Lieutenant Governor.
On my Democratic ballot for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor race, why does only one gubernatorial candidate show a running mate?
A candidate for Governor isn't statutorily mandated to designate their Lieutenant Governor running mate until after the Primary Election. However, this year one of the candidates chose to designate a running mate prior to the Primary Election.
Why isn't the Titusville City Council, Seat 3 race on my ballot for the August 18th Primary Election?
Only 2 candidates qualified for Titusville City Council, Seat 3, so that race goes directly to the General Election ballot. If there had been 3 or more candidates, it would have been on the Primary Election ballot with the top two going to the General Election if no one had won the majority.
Canaveral Port Authority, District 1 should have an election, why isn't it on the ballot?
Because only one candidate qualified, they are deemed elected without opposition and that race will not appear on the ballot.
Why isn't the Canaveral Port Authority, District 3 race on my Primary Election ballot?
District 3 has a write-in candidate and 2 Republican candidates, so that race will appear on Primary Election ballots for Republicans and all voters in the General Election.
I'm not a registered Republican, so why do I have the Canaveral Port Authority, District 5 race on my non-Republican Primary Election ballot?
The Canaveral Port Authority, District 5 race is a Universal Primary Contest and all Canaveral Port Authority voters will have this race on their Primary Election ballot regardless of party affiliation. View information about the qualified candidates here.
What is a Universal Primary Contest and why is it on my ballot for the Primary?
When all the candidates for an office in a Primary Election are of the same party and the winner of the primary will have no opposition in the General Election, all electors, regardless of party affiliation, are eligible to vote in the primary for that office.
What do the Districts mean in Canaveral Port Authority races?
Canaveral Port Authority members are elected at-large within the Canaveral Port Authority district. The residential districts apply to the candidates, who must reside in the district at the time of election.
Why haven't I received a Mail Ballot yet?
The Florida Legislature changed the law regarding how long a mail ballot request stays in a voter's record. A request is now good for a General Election cycle, which is 2 years. Consequently, as of January 1, 2025, all previous mail ballot requests have expired. If you wish to vote in the 2026 election cycle, you will need to put in a new request, which will be good through December 31, 2026.
The last day to request a mail ballot to be sent for the 2026 Primary Election is Thursday, August 6 by 5:00 p.m. You may request a mail ballot online using the Mail Ballot Request Service here.