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2026 primary election: County-by-county voter’s guide

By
FOX 13 News
Florida
Published July 16, 2026 10:07 AM EDT
Published July 16, 2026 10:07 AM EDT

The Brief

    • Florida voters in the Bay Area face a critical July 20 deadline to register or change political party affiliations ahead of the upcoming primary election.
    • Vote-by-mail requests submitted for past cycles have expired, meaning residents must submit brand-new requests to receive a ballot at home this year.
    • State laws dictate that local election supervisors must receive completed ballots before evening polling deadlines on election day to count them.

TAMPA, Fla. - Florida political races are intensifying as the state approaches its primary election on Aug. 18. 

Florida voter registration rules

What we know:

Because Florida operates with closed primaries, residents must register with a specific political party to participate in that organization's partisan contests. The strict cutoff to submit a voter registration application or change party affiliation is July 20.

Voters can update their general information at any point during the year. However, state law specifies that party alignment shifts must occur exactly 29 days before an election cycle to take effect for that primary. The local primary races are held precisely 11 weeks prior to the general election, which takes place on Nov. 3.

Mail-in ballot deadlines

By the numbers:

Voters who want to cast a ballot by mail must request a Vote By Mail ballot. If you requested a Vote by Mail ballot for the 2024 elections, your request expired on December 31, 2024. To vote by mail in 2026, you must submit a new request. 

Click here to find your Supervisor of Elections office to request your Vote by Mail Ballot. 

The deadline to request that a ballot be mailed is no later than 5 p.m. on the 12th day before the election. A Supervisor of Elections must mail the ballot within 2 business days after a request but no later than the 10th day before election day.

All ballots must be received no later than 7 p.m. on election day to be counted. 

Voters who delay returning their mail-in envelopes run the risk of missing strict state receipt deadlines.

Citrus County voting

  • Several early voting polling places will be open in Citrus County from August 7–15 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. for the primary election. Click here for a full list.
  • Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Aug. 18. Click here to find your precinct.

DeSoto County Voting

Several early voting polling places will be open in DeSoto County from August 8–15. Click here for more information. 

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Aug. 18. Click here to find your precinct.

Hardee County Voting

Several early voting polling places will be open in Hardee County from August 6, 2026 – August 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Click here for more details. 

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Aug. 18. Click here to find your precinct.

Hernando County

Several polling places will be open in Hernando County from August 8 -15 from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. for the primary election. Click here for a full list. 

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Aug. 18. Click here to find your precinct.

Highlands County Voting

Several early voting polling places will be open in Highlands County from August 6, 2026 – August 15. Click here for more details. 

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Aug. 18. Click here to find your precinct.

Hillsborough County

Hillsborough County Voting

Several polling places will be open in Hillsborough County from August 3 -16 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. for the primary election. Click here for a full list. 

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Aug. 18. Click here to find your precinct.

Manatee County Voting

Several polling places will be open in Manatee County from August 8 -16 from 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. for the primary election. Click here for a full list. 

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Aug. 18. Click here to find your precinct.

Pasco County Voting

Several polling places will be open in Pasco County from August 8 -15 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. for the primary election. Click here for a full list. 

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Aug. 18. Click here to find your precinct.

Pinellas County Voting

Several polling places will be open in Pinellas County from August 8 -16. On Monday-Friday, the hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday the hours are 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Click here for a full list. 

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Aug. 18. Click here to find your precinct.

Polk County Voting

Several polling places will be open in Polk County for the primary election from August 8 - 16 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Click here for a full list. 

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Aug. 18. Click here to find your precinct.

Sarasota County Voting

Several polling places will be open in Sarasota County for the primary election from August 8–16 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Click here for a full list. 

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Aug. 18. Click here to find your precinct.

Sumter County

Several polling places will be open in Sumter County for the primary election from August 8–15 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Click here for a full list. 

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Aug. 18. Click here to find your precinct.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Florida Division of Elections voter status database, which detailed registration laws and mail-in protocol, as well as official schedules published by the Florida Supervisors of Elections organization.

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