Floridians who are eligible to vote have until Monday, July 20, to register to vote in the 2026 primary election this August. Monday is also the deadline to change your party affiliation.
Florida is a closed primary state, meaning you will only be able to vote for candidates during the primary election that correspond to your party affiliation — at least for partisan positions.
In addition to partisan races, there are also several nonpartisan races on the primary election ballot in Orange County this year that will show up regardless of your party affiliation, including judicial positions, county commission seats, Orange County mayor, school board seats and school board chair. You can find a sample of what your ballot will look like here.
Florida’s official August primary election date is Aug. 18, 2026. The early voting period for the August primary runs Aug. 3 through Aug. 16, and vote-by-mail ballots have already been sent to addresses on file for voters who have requested a mail ballot for this election. If your ballot has been damaged — by rain, for example — you can contact the office to request a new one.
The last day to register for a vote-by-mail ballot for Florida’s primary election is Thursday, Aug. 6, by 5 p.m. The last day to register for the November general election is Oct. 22.
Note: Under a 2021 Florida law approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis, voters in Florida must renew their request for a vote-by-mail ballot every two years. So if it’s been a minute since you asked for a mail-in ballot, you should check to be sure your request is still valid and current — don’t just wait to see it in your mailbox.
If you live in Orange County, you can check your voter registration status or vote-by-mail status online or by calling or visiting the Supervisor of Elections Office (119 W. Kaley St.; 407-836-2070).
To register to vote in Florida, you must be a U.S. citizen, a legal resident of Florida and specifically a resident of the county in which you are registering to vote. You must also be at least 18 years old. To submit an application online, you must have a valid Florida driver’s license or ID card, the issue date for the license or identification card, and the last four digits of your Social Security number.
Related Stories
Mom for Liberty running for Orange County school board chair
Corrections chief warns ‘increased risk’ to public safety if Florida property tax amendment passes
Florida voters have until Monday to register for August primary election
Correction, July 16, 2026 8:43 am: This post has been updated to clarify that the last day to register for a vote-by-mail ballot for the 2026 primary election is Aug. 6, 2026.
