ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 The Aug. 18 Florida Statewide Primary is where political party members (i.e., Democrats and Republicans) will decide who goes to the ballot in November elections.<\/p>\n
But they\u2019re not the only candidates on the ballot, and Central Florida\u2019s election supervisors want to make sure every voter, whether you belong to a party or not, knows that.<\/p>\n
[WATCH: Election Security, Voter Fraud and Vote by Mail: Central Florida supervisors answer tough questions]<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, the president is an important election. Yes, the governor is at the general, but they\u2019re not the ones worrying about your potholes, your schools, your roadways, your stormwater issues,\u201d said Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Amy Pennock.<\/p>\n
[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you\u2019re eligible to vote<\/a>|How to vote by mail<\/a>|Election Myths<\/a>]<\/p>\n Pennock was one of six election supervisors who recently joined News 6 and other members of the News Collaborative of Central Florida<\/a> for a wide-ranging discussion on election issues.<\/a> Central Florida Public Media<\/a> hosted the discussion.<\/p>\n Florida is a closed primary state<\/a>, which means you must be registered with a political party to vote in any of that party\u2019s primaries. <\/p>\n Voters who want to take part in one of the Aug. 18 party primaries have to make sure their party affiliation is updated by July 20. We\u2019ve put all of that information HERE.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to get the message out that people who are not affiliated with the party still have a lot on the ballot,\u201d said Orange County Supervisor Karen Castor Dentel. \u201cWe have a county mayor, we have county commission, and these are all nonpartisan races: school board, judicial, school board chair- some very consequential elections, and most of them will be determined in the primary.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition, some Florida House of Representatives races will be decided in August in what are called \u201cuniversal primaries,\u201d said Osceola County Supervisor Mary Jane Arrington.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are races where there\u2019s only one party running, and that selection will be made,\u201d Arrington said. \u201cAnd in the primary, House District 47, in Osceola County, will be a universal primary for every voter.\u201d<\/p>\n Below is a list of every race that will be on a ballot in the Aug. 18 primary that will be open to all registered voters who are eligible to vote in that election, broken down by county.<\/p>\n Looking for more information on the candidates? That is on the way. <\/p>\n News 6 and its partners at the News Collaborative of Central Florida are working on a comprehensive voting guide with candidate information. Look for that guide in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n Orange County<\/p>\n Orange County is one of the counties that has a non-partisan county commission. All Orange County voters will see the county mayor\u2019s race on their ballot, and if you live in one of five county commission districts, you will see that race on your ballot.<\/p>\n Voters will also see the Orange County School Chair race on their ballot, and if you live in school board districts 1, 2 or 3, that race will also be on your ballot.<\/p>\n Finally, circuit court and county judge races will also be on the ballot for all voters. <\/p>\n To see what will be on your ballot, go to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections website HERE<\/a> and look up your ballot using your address.<\/p>\n Ninth Circuit Judge – Group 1<\/p>\n Ninth Circuit Judge – Group 2<\/p>\n Ninth Circuit Judge – Group 31<\/p>\n Orange County Mayor<\/p>\n Orange County Commission – District 2<\/p>\n Orange County Commission – District 4<\/p>\n Orange County Commission – District 6<\/p>\n Orange County Commission – District 7<\/p>\n Orange County Commission – District 8<\/p>\n Orange County School Board Chair<\/p>\n Orange County School Board District 1<\/p>\n Orange County School Board District 2<\/p>\n Orange County School Board District 3<\/p>\n Orange County Judge – Group 5<\/p>\n Orange County Judge – Group 17<\/p>\n Osceola County<\/p>\n Osceola County\u2019s commission elections are partisan, so they are closed primaries. But the county still has school board races and judges races on the ballot for all voters, as well as a Universal Primary.<\/p>\n The Florida House District 47 election will be open to all voters on Aug. 18. The incumbent Republican, Rep. Paula Stark, will not be on the ballot because of a paperwork issue, and the only other candidates are Democrats.<\/p>\n To see what will be on your ballot, go to the Osceola County Supervisor of Elections website HERE<\/a> and look up your ballot using your name and birthdate.<\/p>\n Florida House District 47 – Universal Primary<\/p>\n Ninth Circuit Judge – Group 1<\/p>\n Ninth Circuit Judge – Group 2<\/p>\n Ninth Circuit Judge – Group 31<\/p>\n Osceola County School Board District 1<\/p>\n Osceola County School Board District 3<\/p>\n Kissimmee City Commission Seat 2<\/p>\n Kissimmee City Commission Seat 4<\/p>\n Kissimmee Charter Amendment – Referendum Question 1<\/p>\n Shall the City Charter, Chapter 2, Section 2, be amended to revise the term limits for the Mayor-Commissioner and City Commissioners from two (2) consecutive four-year terms to three (3) consecutive four-year terms?<\/p>\n Kissimmee Charter Amendment – Referendum Question 2<\/p>\n Shall the City Charter, Chapter 2, City Commission, Section 7, be amended to require all candidates for elected office to consent to a background check to verify eligibility for office?<\/p>\n St. Cloud City Council Member Seat 5<\/p>\n Seminole County<\/p>\n Seminole County also doesn\u2019t have nonpartisan county commission elections, but it does have school board races and judges elections. The City of Sanford is also having its mayoral race on Aug. 18.<\/p>\n To see what will be on your ballot, go to the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections website HERE<\/a> and look up your ballot using your name and birthdate.<\/p>\n 18th Circuit Judge – Group 4<\/p>\n 18th Circuit Judge – Group 13<\/p>\n Seminole County Court Judge Group 3<\/p>\n Seminole County Court Judge Group 6<\/p>\n Seminole County School Board District 1<\/p>\n Seminole County School Board District 2<\/p>\n Seminole County School Board District 5<\/p>\n City of Sanford Mayor<\/p>\n Brevard County<\/p>\n Brevard County has nonpartisan school board races, judicial elections and a universal primary for the Canaveral Port Authority, District 5. There are also elections in the cities of Palm Bay and Titusville.<\/p>\n To see what will be on your ballot, go to the Brevard County Supervisor of Elections website HERE<\/a> and look up your ballot using your name and birthdate.<\/p>\n 18th Circuit Judge – Group 4<\/p>\n 18th Circuit Judge – Group 13<\/p>\n Brevard County School Board – District 1<\/p>\n Brevard County School Board – District 2<\/p>\n Brevard County School Board – District 5<\/p>\n Brevard County Judge – Group 3<\/p>\n Rodney Antonio Edwards<\/p>\n Canaveral Port Authority – District 5 Universal Primary<\/p>\n Palm Bay City Council – Seat 4<\/p>\n Michael J. Bruyette<\/p>\n Palm Bay City Council – Seat 5<\/p>\n Titusville City Council -Seat 1<\/p>\n Titusville City Council -Seat 5<\/p>\n Volusia County<\/p>\n Volusia County has nonpartisan county council, school board and judicial races. It also has a bevy of city races that could be decided, including mayoral races in Deltona, Edgewater and Ormond Beach.<\/p>\n To see what will be on your ballot, go to the Volusia County Supervisor of Elections website HERE<\/a> and look up your ballot using your name and birthdate.<\/p>\n Seventh Circuit Judge – Group 26<\/p>\n Volusia County Council At Large<\/p>\n Volusia County Council District 1<\/p>\n Volusia County Council District 3<\/p>\n Volusia County School Board District 1<\/p>\n Volusia County School Board District 3<\/p>\n Volusia County School Board District 5<\/p>\n Daytona Beach City Commission Zone 3<\/p>\n Quanita May<\/p>\n Daytona Beach City Commission Zone 5<\/p>\n Willie F. Williams<\/p>\n Deltona Mayor<\/p>\n Maritza A. Vazquez<\/p>\n Deltona City Commission District 6<\/p>\n Edgewater Mayor<\/p>\n Holly Hill City Commissioner District 2<\/p>\n New Smyrna Beach City Commissioner Zone 2<\/p>\n Lou Pate<\/p>\n Ormond Beach Mayor<\/p>\n Ormond Beach City Commissioner Zone 1<\/p>\n Alan Burton<\/p>\n Ormond Beach City Commissioner Zone 4<\/p>\n Harold Briley<\/p>\n South Daytona City Council Seat 2<\/p>\n Flagler County<\/p>\n Flagler County has school board and judicial races that are nonpartisan, as are the Palm Coast City Council races.<\/p>\n To see what will be on your ballot, go to the Flagler County Supervisor of Elections website HERE<\/a> and look up your ballot using your name and birthdate.<\/p>\n Seventh Circuit Judge – Group 26<\/p>\n Flagler County School Board District 1<\/p>\n Flagler County School Board District 2<\/p>\n Flagler County School Board District 4<\/p>\n Palm Coast City Council – District 2<\/p>\n Palm Coast City Council – District 4<\/p>\n Lake County<\/p>\n To see what will be on your ballot, go to the Lake County Supervisor of Elections website HERE<\/a> and look up your ballot using your name and birthdate.<\/p>\n Fifth Circuit Judge – Group 27<\/p>\n Lake County School Board – District 1<\/p>\n Fruitland Park Commissioner – District 3<\/p>\n Paige Booth<\/p>\n Groveland District 1, Mayor<\/p>\n Judith Fike<\/p>\n Keith \u201cChef\u201d Keogh<\/p>\n Dina Sweatt<\/p>\n Marion County<\/p>\n In addition to school board and judicial races, voters in Marion County may be eligible to vote in two Florida House races. The races for Districts 21 and 24 are universal primaries. Only Democrats qualified to run in District 21, while only Republicans qualified to run in District 24.<\/p>\n