Voters may not be heading to the polls in 2026 for a presidential election, but there are still several key races taking place in Florida, including governor.
In the Florida governor race, there were 47 candidates as of May 11, all fighting for the chance to replace current Gov. Ron DeSantis, who can’t run again.
Here’s a breakdown of the state and federal races in 2026, along with important deadlines, including how to check if you’re listed as an active voter in Florida and whether you can vote by mail.
When is the 2026 Florida primary election and key deadlines?
The Florida primary election day will be Aug. 18, 2026.
Here are key deadlines to be aware of:
Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to UOCAVA voters: July 4, 2026
Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to domestic voters: July 9-16, 2026
Deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation: July 20, 2026
Deadline to request that ballot be mailed: Aug. 6, 2026
Early voting period (mandatory period): Aug. 8-15, 2026
Counties can expand the early-voting period
Election Day: Aug. 18, 2026
Who are UOCAVA voters?
UOCAVA stands for Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
UOCAVA voters are U.S. citizens who are active members of the Uniformed Services the Merchant Marine, and the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, their eligible family members and U.S. citizens residing outside the United States.
“The act provides the legal basis for these citizens’ absentee voting requirements for federal offices,” according to the Federal Voting Assistance Program.
When is the 2026 Florida general election and key deadlines?
The Florida general election day will be Nov. 3, 2026, two days after we turn clocks back an hour for the end of daylight saving time on Nov. 1.
Here are key deadlines to be aware of:
Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to UOCAVA voters: Sept. 19, 2026
Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to domestic voters: Sept. 24 – Oct. 1, 2026
Deadline to register to vote: Oct. 5, 2026
Deadline to request that ballot be mailed: Oct. 22, 2026
Early voting period (mandatory period): Oct. 24-31, 2026
Counties can expand the early-voting period
Election Day: Nov. 3, 2026
What Florida state, federal offices will be on the 2026 Florida ballot?
According to the Florida Division of Elections, these are the state and federal offices up for election or retention in 2026:
See the lists of candidates who have registered to run in each of the races at the Florida Division of Elections website.
Federal offices
U.S. Senate (one of two seats)
U.S. House (all districts)
Florida state offices
Commissioner of agriculture
State senator (even-numbered districts)
State representative (all districts)
State attorney (20th Judicial Circuit)
Public defender (20th Judicial Circuit)
Judicial retention (nonpartisan)
Justices, Supreme Court of Florida (those whose terms expire January 2027)
Judges, District Courts of Appeal (those whose terms expire January 2027)
Circuit judges (nonpartisan)
Those whose terms expire January 2027
County court judges (nonpartisan)
Those whose terms expire January 2027
How to check if you’re an active registered voter in Florida?
To check you’re an active registered voter in Florida, go to the Florida Department of State’s Voter Information Lookup website.
You’ll need to enter:
If you’re listed as an active voter, you are eligble to vote.
Can I still vote by mail in Florida?
Yes, but you’ll need to make a request to vote by mail to the Supervisor of Elections Office in the county where you live:
Use Form DS-DE 160 (Statewide Vote-by-Mail ballot Request Form) and return it via mail, online, fax, or as scanned attachment to an email. For online request submission, visit the state’s webpage for county specific links)
The voter’s date of birth,
The voter’s address (A signed written request is required if the address is different that the address on file. An exception exists for absent uniformed service voter or an overseas voter seeking a vote-by-mail ballot).
The voter’s Florida driver license, Florida identification card, or last four digits of the voter’s social security number, whichever may be verified in the supervisor’s records, and
The voter’s signature (if the request is written).
Who can ask for a vote-by-mail ballot in Florida?
The following persons can request a vote-by-mail ballot for a voter, according to the Florida Division of Elections:
The voter’s immediate family member (i.e., voter’s spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling),
The voter’s spouse’s parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling
The voter’s legal guardian, or
A designee for a voter with a disability.
What’s the deadline in Florida to ask for a 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.
In 2026, the deadlines to ask for a vote-by-mail ballot are:
Primary election: Aug. 6, 2026
General election: Oct. 22, 2026
Is Ron DeSantis running for governor again?
No.
Gov. Ron DeSantis cannot run again for governor because he has already served two consecutive terms.
➤ Ron DeSantis leaves office soon. What could he do next?
No one can run for three terms in a row, according to Article IV of the Florida Constitution.
DeSantis leaves the Florida governor’s mansion on Jan. 5, 2027.
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida election deadlines, races, how vote by mail in 2026