Monday is the deadline for Floridians who want to register to vote or change their party affiliation ahead of next month’s primary.
There’s a lot to consider on the ballot this year, including races for school board and judge and primaries for Congress and governor.
Here are answers to some frequent questions about voting.
Who can vote in the primary?
Voters must be U.S. citizens, residents of Florida and at least 18 years old.
In April, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a requirement that voters show proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. However, this change will not take effect until Jan. 1, 2027.
Florida is a closed primary state, meaning only voters registered with a political party can vote in that party’s primary.
But that doesn’t mean that voters who aren’t registered as Republicans or Democrats should stay home. Several races on August ballots are open to all relevant voters regardless of party affiliation.
That includes nonpartisan school board and judicial races, as well as universal primaries, in which only candidates from the same party are running for office.
How do I register to vote?
To vote in the primaries on Aug. 18, you must be registered to vote by Monday. Floridians can register online at registertovoteflorida.gov until midnight. You can also register to vote at your county’s elections office before it closes for the day.
When registering, you must provide basic biographical information and your Florida identification number, driver’s license number or Social Security number.
If you are unsure whether you are registered in Florida, you can check your voter status online.
Can I change party affiliation?
Yes, you can change your party affiliation. This is especially important for the primaries because you can generally only vote in the primary election of the party you are registered with. The deadline to change your party affiliation is also Monday — 29 days before the election.
What ways can I vote?
There are three main ways to vote:
- You can vote in person at any county early voting site during the early voting period, which is a window of about a week before Election Day. Check your county’s supervisor of elections website for the dates, times and locations of early voting sites.
- You can vote in person on Aug. 18. On the day of the primary, voters must go to their assigned polling place, which is likely different from the early voting locations. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- You can vote by mail. Anyone in Florida can request a ballot be mailed to them, which you can do on your county’s elections office website up to 12 days before the election. You can mail back your ballot — it must be received by the correct county’s elections office by 7 p.m. on Aug. 18 to be counted — or return the mail ballot to a secure mail ballot drop box in your county.
Voters who receive a mail ballot but want to vote in person instead can do so.
What forms of ID can I use to vote?
You must present a valid photo ID with a signature for in-person voting. The state elections website lists 12 acceptable forms of ID:
- Florida driver’s license
- Florida ID card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
- U.S. passport
- Debit or credit card
- Military ID
- Student ID
- Retirement center ID
- Neighborhood association ID
- Public assistance ID
- Veteran health ID card issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- License to carry a concealed weapon or firearm
- Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the federal government, the state, a county or a municipality.
Even if you do not bring a suitable form of ID, you can still vote, but you will be given a provisional ballot, meaning the county canvassing board would decide later whether to count the vote.
Who’s on my ballot?
Check with your county supervisor of elections office to see which districts you’re in. Recent redistricting means that your districts may be different from the last time you voted.
Then check out the Tampa Bay Times’ voter guide at tampabay.com/voterguide to get information about the candidates on your ballot.
How can I make sure my mail ballot got counted?
Each county elections office has a ballot tracking tool so you can monitor your ballot’s progress.
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Tampa Bay Times Election Coverage
Congressional midterms: St. Petersburg and Wauchula are in the same congressional district. We drove it
Property tax amendment: DeSantis has claims about his tax amendment. Here’s what it actually does.
Voting: Mail ballot requests are down across Tampa Bay
State races: Here’s who wants to represent Tampa Bay in Legislature, Cabinet primaries
Congressional candidates: Who’s running for the US House in Tampa Bay after redistricting?
Governor’s race: Field set for Florida 2026 governor race
