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Early voting ends this weekend
There are just a few days left for early voting and that means candidates only have a few days left on the campaign trail. FOX 13’s Kellie Cowan reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - With Election Day just four days away, candidates across Florida are making their final appeals to voters as they try to turn out supporters in a closely watched midterm election.
Campaign trail heats up
What we know:
Gubernatorial candidate David Jolly is scheduled to campaign in The Villages on Friday morning, while President Donald Trump is expected in Daytona Beach to campaign for Republican candidate Byron Donalds.
Florida’s governor’s race has drawn national attention, with recent polling showing a competitive contest between Donalds and Jolly.
A recent St. Pete Polls survey found Donalds leading Jolly 48% to 46%. The poll surveyed 916 likely voters and has a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.
A New York Times and Siena College poll released Thursday showed Donalds with a four-point advantage.
UCF political science professor Aubrey Jewett told Fox 35 Orlando the race has been surprisingly competitive.
The U.S. Senate race is another contest drawing attention. Republican Ashley Moody is facing Democrat Angie Nixon in a special election to fill Florida’s vacant Senate seat.
Recent polling has shown Moody with a lead of several percentage points over Nixon.
Florida early voting numbers
By the numbers:
More than 4.2 million Floridians have already cast ballots in the 2026 midterm election.
That’s approximately 31% of the state’s 13.7 million registered voters.
About 2.5 million people have voted in person during early voting, while another 1.8 million have returned vote-by-mail ballots.
The latest tally from the University of Florida Election Lab shows registered Republicans lead early voting with 40.4% of ballots cast, registered Democrats make up 38.6% of the votes, and no or minor party voters cast the remaining 21.1%.
Republicans currently hold a registration advantage of approximately 1.5 million voters over Democrats.
Florida also has nearly 4 million voters registered with no party affiliation or an alternative party.
While those numbers offer a snapshot of potential turnout, party registration does not necessarily indicate how someone voted.
When and where to vote
Local perspective:
Florida’s mandatory early voting period runs through Saturday, October 31. Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas, and Sarasota offer early voting through November 1.
Unlike Election Day, voters can cast their ballots at any designated early voting location within their county, rather than being limited to their assigned precinct on Election Day.
Voters should check with their county Supervisor of Elections for locations and operating hours.
Early voters must bring an acceptable form of identification that includes a photo and signature.
If a voter does not have an acceptable form of identification, they may vote using a provisional ballot.
What happens on Election Day?
Timeline:
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.
Polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. local time.
Unlike early voting, voters must cast their ballots at their assigned precinct.
Anyone who is in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
Voters can find their assigned polling location through their county Supervisor of Elections office.
What if you still have a mail-in ballot?
What you can do:
Mail-in ballots must be received by the Supervisor of Elections office by the time polls close at 7 p.m., on Election Day. Floridians who have not returned their vote-by-mail ballots should not put them in the mail at this point. A postmark is not sufficient.
Instead, voters can return their completed ballots directly to their county Supervisor of Elections office during office hours or at early voting locations during polling hours. A designated secure ballot drop box is set up to receive mail ballots.
Voters cannot simply bring a completed mail ballot to their regular Election Day precinct and drop it off, but will have the option to vote in person instead.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Florida Department of State, as well as local county Supervisors of Elections offices. Polling figures were reported by St. Pete Polls and The New York Times and Siena College.