2026 Bay Area early voting guide: What you need to know
Early voting begins in parts of Bay Area
Early voting began on Monday in several parts of the Bay Area. FOX 13’s Heather Healy reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Early voting is underway in several Bay Area counties ahead of Florida's Nov. 3 general election. Voters can cast their ballots before Election Day, but the dates, hours and locations vary by county.
Bay Area general election early voting guide
Whether you're voting in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, Citrus, Manatee, Sarasota, Polk or surrounding counties, here's what you need to know about early voting, where to go and what to bring.
Florida's general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters who choose to vote early must use a designated early voting site in the county where they are registered.
What you need to vote
Florida voters must present a valid photo ID that includes a signature when voting in person. If the photo ID does not include a signature, voters must provide another ID that does.
Acceptable forms of identification include:
- Florida driver's license
- Florida identification card
- U.S. 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 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- License to carry a concealed weapon or firearm
- Government employee identification
Voters who cannot provide identification may vote on a provisional ballot. Election officials will determine whether the ballot can be counted.
Vote-by-mail deadlines & county-by-county early voting
By the numbers:
The deadline to request that a vote-by-mail ballot be mailed to you is 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22.
Completed vote-by-mail ballots must be received by the appropriate Supervisor of Elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. A postmark alone does not satisfy the deadline.
Voters can check their ballot status and contact their county elections office through the Florida Division of Elections.
Citrus County voting
Early voting is scheduled for Oct. 22-31, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, including weekends.
Sites include the Central Ridge Community Center in Beverly Hills, the Supervisor of Elections office at the West Citrus Government Center in Crystal River, Homosassa Public Library and Inverness City Hall.
See the Citrus County early voting schedule and locations.
DeSoto County voting
Early voting runs Oct. 22-31, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, including weekends.
Voters can find the designated early voting locations and additional information through the DeSoto County Supervisor of Elections.
Hardee County voting
Early voting runs Oct. 22-31, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Voters can find the designated early voting locations and additional information through the Hardee County Supervisor of Elections.
Hernando County voting
Early voting is scheduled for Oct. 22-31, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Voters can find the full list of early voting locations and additional information through the Hernando County Supervisor of Elections.
Highlands County voting
Early voting runs Oct. 22-31, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
Highlands County has three early voting locations:
- Penny Ogg Operations Center
- Avon Park City Hall Council Chambers
- Lake Placid Town Government Center
Voters can cast their ballots at any of the three designated sites in the county.
See the Highlands County early voting information.
Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County voting
Early voting runs Oct. 19-Nov. 1, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
READ: Early voting opens in Hillsborough County: Here's what to know
Hillsborough County has 27 early voting locations. Voters can cast their ballots at any open early voting site in the county, rather than being limited to their assigned Election Day precinct.
Locations include libraries, recreation centers and elections offices across Tampa, Plant City, Riverview, Ruskin, Temple Terrace and other communities.
See the Hillsborough County early voting locations.
Manatee County voting
Early voting runs Oct. 19-Nov. 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Registered Manatee County voters may vote at any designated early voting center in the county.
See the Manatee County early voting locations.
Pasco County voting
Early voting runs Oct. 19-31, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
The county has 12 early voting locations, including sites in New Port Richey, Hudson, Holiday, Odessa, Land O' Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and Dade City. The Hudson Library and Regency Park Library are not being used as early voting locations in 2026.
See the Pasco County early voting schedule and locations.
Pinellas County voting
Early voting runs Oct. 19-Nov. 1, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Pinellas County has seven early voting locations, including sites in Palm Harbor, Clearwater, Gulfport, St. Petersburg and Largo. Voters can use any designated early voting site in the county.
See the Pinellas County early voting locations.
Polk County voting
Early voting runs Oct. 19-31, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Voters can find the designated early voting locations and additional election information through the Polk County Supervisor of Elections.
Sarasota County voting
Early voting runs Oct. 19-Nov. 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily.
Early voting locations include the Terrace Building in Sarasota, the Robert L. Anderson Administration Center in Venice and North Port Village in North Port.
See the Sarasota County election information page.
Sumter County voting
Early voting is scheduled for Oct. 24-31, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Voters can cast their ballots at any designated early voting location in Sumter County.
See the Sumter County election information page.
General election polling information
What's next:
Before heading out to vote, check your county's Supervisor of Elections website for the latest location information, wait times and any schedule changes. Early voting sites are not necessarily the same as assigned Election Day polling places.
Voters can also review their registration status and find official election information through the Florida Division of Elections.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official election schedules published by county Supervisors of Elections across the Bay Area and the Florida Division of Elections.