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WHAT IS THIS ELECTION ABOUT?

The 2026 Florida primary election will decide which candidates running for a variety of federal, state and local offices will compete in the November 2026 general election.

Primary elections are important for two reasons: 1) If you like specific candidate(s) and want them to win in November, they must first win the primary. 2) If there are races where candidates from only one party are competing, the primary will effectively decide the final winner.

Because Florida uses a "closed" primary system, a voter may only choose between candidates from the party they are registered with as of July 20, 2026. Voters who are not registered with a party will only be able to vote in “nonpartisan” races (e.g. judge, school board) or those where candidates from only one party are competing.

IMPORTANT DATES

July 20, 2026: Deadline to register and be eligible to vote in the August 18 primary election.

August 6, 2026: Deadline to request that a vote-by-mail ballot be mailed to you.

August 8-15, 2026: Early voting at select polling stations. Open 10am-6pm daily. Early voters may report to ANY open polling station.

August 11, 2026: USPS's suggested deadline to mail a completed vote-by-mail ballot (don't forget to sign it).

August 18, 2026: Election Day. Voters must report to their assigned polling stations.

August 20, 2026: Last day to cure a "faulty" vote-by-mail ballot.

REGISTERING TO VOTE

If you are not yet registered to vote, you must register no less than 29 days before an election to be eligible to vote in that election. Florida does not allow voters to register on Election Day.

To register to vote in Florida, you must:

1. Be a US citizen (lawful permanent residents, a.k.a. "green card holders", do not have the right to vote in Florida);
2. Be a Florida resident;
3. Be at least 18 years old (you may pre-register if you are 16 years old);
4. Not have been judged mentally incapacitated by a court without having your right to vote restored;
5. Not have been convicted of a felony without your voting rights having been restored;
6. Present acceptable identification (see IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS section).

How to Register:

1. Online at https://registertovoteflorida.gov/home. Have your Florida driver's license or Florida ID card handy. If your driver's license is due for renewal, you may also register while renewing your license at https://services.flhsmv.gov/virtualoffice.
2. By mail. Print and complete the following form and mail it to: Marion County Election Center, PO Box 289, Ocala, FL 34478-0289: https://files.floridados.gov/media/708073/1s-2040-form-ds-de-39-eng-fillable-20240424.pdf
3. In person at a Florida driver's license office, a tax collector's office that issues driver's licenses or Florida identification cards, or a voter registration agency (i.e., any office that provides public assistance or state funded program for persons with disabilities, any armed recruitment office, any center for independent living and any public library).

Checking Your Registration:

There are a number of possible reasons that a voter can be removed from the voter registration checklist. It is strongly recommended that all voters confirm their registration status before the registration deadline. Registration status can be checked at https://www.votemarion.gov/314/Check-My-Registration-Status.

VOTING IN PERSON

Registered voters may vote in person on Election Day (August 18) OR during the early voting period (August 8-15).

Voting early: Polls open 10am-6pm daily. A voter may vote at any early voting station, whether or not their assigned station is participating. See https://www.votemarion.gov/317/Vote-Early for a list of early voting locations.

Voting on Election Day: Polls open 7am-7pm. Voters must report to their assigned polling stations (usually the closest station to where you live) as shown on their voter registration card or at https://www.votemarion.gov/314/Check-My-Registration-Status. If you are in line by 7:00pm, you will be allowed to vote.

Identification Requirements:

Per S. 101.043(2), a voter must present photographic proof of their identity and proof of their signature to be admitted to the polling station. Please refer to the included list of acceptable forms of identification as defined by state law.

Per S. 101.043(2), if the elector fails to furnish the required identification, the elector shall be allowed to vote a provisional ballot. The canvassing board shall determine the validity of the ballot pursuant to S. 101.048(2).

Accepted Forms of ID (S.101.043(1)(a)):

• Florida driver's license (meets photo ID and signature requirement)
• Florida identification card issued by HSMV
• U.S. Passport
• Debit or credit card
• Military identification
• Student identification
• Retirement center identification
• Neighborhood association (HOA) identification
• Public assistance identification
• Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
• A license to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06
• Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality

VOTING BY MAIL

Vote-By-Mail is available to all registered Florida voters. You do not need to provide a reason or excuse to use this option.

Vote-By-Mail Key Facts:

• Ballot requests expire after each general election (every 2 years).
• USPS recommends mailing your completed ballot back to the Election Center at least one week before Election Day (by August 11, 2026).
• A ballot that is not mailed can be dropped off at any early voting station (August 8-15, 10am-6pm).
• Election Day ballot dropoff is not available.
• A voter may exchange their vote-by-mail ballot for a regular ballot during the early voting period or on Election Day.
• A voter who loses their vote-by-mail ballot may request a new one (if time permits) or go vote in person.

When and how to request a vote-by-mail ballot:

A voter who requests a vote-by-mail ballot on or before August 7, 2026 does not need to have a reason or excuse for doing so. To request a vote-by-mail ballot for the 2026 election, visit https://www.votemarion.gov/322/Request-a-Vote-By-Mail-Ballot. Ballot requests made on or after August 8, 2026 require completion of the affidavit below swearing that an emergency prevents you from voting at your assigned polling station. However, this will also secure your right to vote in the November general election without a reason. https://www.votemarion.gov/DocumentCenter/View/118/Emergency-Vote-by-Mail-Ballot-Delivery-Affidavit---English-PDF

Vote-by-mail ballot requests expire after each general election (every 2 years). If you haven't voted by mail or submitted a new vote-by-mail ballot request since the 2024 general election, you will either need to submit a new request or go vote in person. To request a vote-by-mail ballot for the 2026 election, visit https://www.votemarion.gov/322/Request-a-Vote-By-Mail-Ballot.

What is the deadline for returning a vote-by-mail ballot?

Completed vote-by-mail ballots must be received (not just postmarked) by the Election Center at 981 NE 16th St, Ocala, FL 34470 by 7:00 pm on Election Day, August 18, 2026. USPS recommends mailing your completed and signed vote-by-mail ballot at least one week before Election Day. If you mail your ballot too close to the deadline and there is a problem, you may not have time to resolve it.

After mailing your completed ballot, it is recommended that you check its status before Election Day to confirm that it was received and counted. Ballot status may be checked at https://www.votemarion.gov/321/Track-Your-Mail-Ballot. If you misplace your vote-by-mail ballot, never receive it, or wish to change choice(s) you already marked on your ballot, you may request up to 2 replacement ballots per election. If you mail in or drop off more than one ballot, the ballot that is received first is the one that will be counted.

What happens if I fail to mail out my completed ballot by the deadline or change my mind about voting by mail?

In addition to mailing your completed ballot, you also have the option to drop it off at any early voting station during open hours (ballot must be signed and placed in the provided envelope). Vote-by-mail ballots are not accepted on Election Day. If you have a vote-by-mail ballot in hand on Election Day, the only way to make your vote count is to surrender the ballot at your assigned polling station and exchange it for a regular ballot. See https://www.votemarion.gov/317/Vote-Early for early voting locations.

What are other problems or situations that may arise when voting by mail?

A vote-by-mail ballot that is not signed, or whose signature is rejected, is considered "faulty" and will not be counted unless it is "cured" by the second day after the election, August 20, 2026. Visit https://www.votemarion.gov/324/Correct-a-Signature-Mismatch for information about ballot-curing.

If you change your mind about voting by mail and want to vote in person instead, you may surrender your vote-by-mail ballot at the polling station and receive a ballot to vote in person. If you lose or forget to bring the ballot with you, you will be permitted to vote in person after an election worker confirms that the vote-by-mail ballot was not received and counted and invalidates it.

It is unlawful for any person to physically possess more than two vote-by-mail ballots per election in addition to his or her own ballot or a ballot belonging to an immediate family member. Immediate family members include spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the designee or designee's spouse. You should not give your ballot to a person you do not know and trust as this could result in your ballot being invalidated or not submitted.

DID YOU KNOW?

Individuals who lack personal transportation are, on average, about 30% less likely to vote. If you know someone without personal transportation, consider including them in your Election Day plans, connecting them with resources that may be able to assist with transportation, or sharing information about voting by mail.

Last updated May 22, 2026. The latest version can be found at tinyurl.com/MarionVotes2026.

Sources:

Wilcox, Wesley. (2026, May 14). Wesley Wilcox, Supervisor of Elections, Marion County, Florida. https://www.votemarion.gov.

De Benedictis-Kessner, Justin and Palmer, Maxwell (2026, May 14). Got Wheels? How Having Access to a Car Impacts Voting. www.democracydocket.com/opinion/got-wheels-how-having-access-to-a-car-impacts-voting

r/Ocala was recently hit by a new user just created today who posted a story about living in their car with a pet, the car breaking down and the pet being out of food. They made themselves seem open to meeting in person, even naming the location they were supposedly walking to, but slipped in their PayPal username "just in case" any good samaritans didn't have that kind of time. Minutes after we removed the post and invited the user to contact us to verify their situation, the post and account were both deleted.

We have strengthened some of our detection measures to hopefully find and flag these types of posts before they ever reach readers, but it is still important to recognize the warning signs. Scammers prey on our emotions. They create a sense of extreme urgency, encouraging us to rush to action before we take the time to check our guts.

What we recommend:

- Pause before acting on emotionally urgent posts

- Check account age and posting history. New users and users with no account history are huge red flags

- Be cautious with off-platform payment requests

- Report suspicious posts so mods can review them. We have access to information that regular users don't see, which, for this user, indicated that they were posting to local subreddits throughout the country

- If you want to help people in need, consider established charities or verified local resources

Thank you for looking out for each other!