Elections in Florida: Dates, Deadlines, and Everything You Need to Know

Florida will hold its primary elections on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. The results will determine candidacies for November. The election day includes federal, state, judicial, school, municipal, and county offices. It may also include nonpartisan contests.

The general election will be on Tuesday, November 3. That day will decide important offices for the state’s political future. For Latino voters, knowing the dates is essential. An error in registration, affiliation, or ballot submission can prevent your vote from being counted.

How Do Florida’s Primaries Work?

Florida uses a closed primary system. This means each voter must be affiliated with a party to choose its candidates. A person registered as a Democrat can vote in the Democratic primary. A Republican person can participate in the Republican primary. Voters without party affiliation cannot choose a party’s candidates. However, they can vote in nonpartisan contests.

Among those contests may be judicial elections, school boards, and some local referendums. There are also exceptions known as universal primaries. Universal primaries occur when all candidates have the same party affiliation. In those cases, all voters can participate. Voter registration requires being a U.S. citizen. It also requires residing in Florida and being 18 years old on election day.

Young people ages 16 and 17 can preregister. Their registration activates when they reach voting age. The deadline to register or change party affiliation for the primary expired on July 20. Therefore, that change can no longer be made for the August 18 election. The registered affiliation determines the ballot each voter receives. For this reason, it is advisable to verify your registration before going to a polling place.

What Are the Voting Dates and Options?

Mandatory early voting for the primary will be from August 8-15. However, some counties may extend that period. Miami-Dade enabled early voting starting August 3. The local period can extend through August 16, according to the county’s election information. Broward will have early voting from August 8-16. Its hours may differ from those established in Miami-Dade.

The hours depend on the county and assigned polling place. For this reason, the Elections Division recommends checking information from your local Elections Supervisor. The deadline to request a mail ballot was August 6 at 5:00 p.m. Those who did not request it before that deadline must vote early or come on election day. Requested ballots must arrive at the election office by 7:00 p.m. on August 18. Simply placing them in the mail that day is not sufficient.

Voters must follow signature and return instructions. A missing signature can cause the ballot to be rejected. On election day, polling places will open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Voters must go to the location assigned by their county. They must also present valid identification. The identification must comply with Florida’s current election rules.