The 2026 general election is less than a month away, and for Florida voters, a key deadline is here: Oct. 5 is the deadline to register to vote. If you’re not registered by the deadline, you won’t be able to cast a ballot in the Nov. 3 general election.
Not sure whether you’re registered? The Florida Department of State offers an online a Voter Information Lookup
where you can quickly check your registration status.Registered voters will decide races ranging from Florida’s next governor to proposed constitutional amendments. Early voting begins statewide Oct. 24, though some counties can offer additional early-voting days starting Oct. 19.
Here’s what Jacksonville-area voters need to know: how to check your registration, how to register if you’re
eligible but not yet on the rolls, and where to find early-voting locationsbased on your county and address.
When is the 2026 Florida general election?
The Florida general election will be held Nov. 3, 2026.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, and you must vote at your precinct.
Any voter standing in line at 7 p.m. (local time) in their county is eligible to cast a vote.
Today, Oct. 5 is the deadline to register to vote in the Florida midterm election
If you plan to vote in the Nov. 3 general election, you need to be registered to vote.
The deadline to register is today, Oct. 5.
Key deadlines for the 2026 general election in Florida
- Deadline to register to vote: Oct. 5
- Deadline to request vote-by-mail ballot: Oct. 22
- Early voting period: Oct. 19-Nov. 1
- Election Day: Nov. 3
Here's how to tell if you are registered to vote in Florida
To check if 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:
- Your first and last name
- Birth date
If you're listed as an active voter, you are eligible to vote.
How do I register to vote in Florida?
Not registered? You can download the voter registration application on the Florida Department of State website: registertovoteflorida.gov/home. You'll need to have:
- Your most current and valid Florida driver license or Florida Identification card
- The last four digits of your Social Security number
If you do not have the required information, you can still use the online system to prefill an online voter registration application form that you can print. Sign it and either mail it to your county Supervisor of Elections office or drop it off.
You can also apply to register to vote in person at:
- Any Supervisor of Elections’ office (by mail or in person)
- Any office that issues Florida driver's licenses or Florida ID cards
- Any voter registration agency such as a public assistance office
- Any voter registration drive by an organization that has met Florida's updated standards
- Any public library
Who can register to vote in Florida?
To register to vote in Florida, you must:
- Be a citizen of the United States
- Only persons who are U.S. citizens by birth, naturalization, or law have the right to register or vote in Florida.
- Be a Florida resident
- Be at least 18 years old
- You may pre-register to vote if you are 16 years old
- Not have been adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or any other state without having the right to vote restored
- Not have been convicted of a felony without your voting rights having been restored.
- For information on felon voting rights, visit Division of Elections’ webpage
Where can I vote in Northeast Florida?
- Clay County: Voters can find their polling place at the Clay County Supervisor of Elections website.
- Duval County: Voters can find their polling place at the Duval County Supervisor of Elections website.
- St. Johns County: Voters can find their polling place at the St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections website.
- Nassau County: Voters can find their polling place at the Nassau County Supervisor of Elections website.
Want to vote early? See where and when early voting starts in Clay County for the 2026 general election
General election early voting in Clay County will take place from Friday, October 23 to Saturday, October 31, 2026. From 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily. Find poll locations here.
Want to vote early? See where and when early voting starts in Duval for the 2026 general election
General electionearly voting in Duval County will take place from Tuesday, October 20, 2026, to Sunday, November 1, 2026.
- Tuesday, October 20 - Friday, October 23, 2026, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Saturday, October 24 - Sunday, October 25, 2026, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Monday, October 26 - Friday, October 30, 2026, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Saturday, October 31 - Sunday, November 1, 2026, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Find early voting locations.
Want to vote early? See early voting in St. Johns County dates for the 2026 general election
General election early voting in St. Johns County will take place from Wednesday, October 21 to Saturday, October 31, 2026, from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily.
Find early voting locations below:
- Ponte Vedra Branch Library: 101 Library Blvd, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082.
- The Players Community Senior Ctr, 175 Landrum Ln, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
- Julington Creek Annex: 725 Flora Branch Blvd, St. Johns, FL 32259
- RiverHouse at RiverTown: 140 Landing St, St. Johns, FL 32259
- St. Johns County Convention Ctr: 500 S. Legacy Trail, St. Augustine, FL 32092
- Supervisor of Elections Office: 4455 Avenue A, Suite 101, St. Augustine, FL 32095
- Solomon Calhoun Community Ctr: 1300 Duval St, St. Augustine, FL 32084
- St. Augustine Beach City Hall: 2200 A1A South, St. Augustine, FL 32080
- Southeast Branch Library: 6670 US 1 South, St. Augustine, FL 32086
- W.E. Harris Community Ctr: 400 E. Harris St, Hastings, FL 32145
How many Florida voters have asked for mail-in ballot?
As of Oct. 4, 2,029,742 voters have requested, but not yet returned, a vote-by-mail ballot, previously known as an absentee ballot. Of those, the majority are Democrats, with the breakdown as follows:
- Democrat: 877,512
- Republican: 699,719
- No party affiliation: 404,138
- Other: 48,373
How many vote-by-mail ballots have been returned in Florida?
As of Oct. 4, the Florida Division of Elections has received 146,038 vote-by-mail ballots, with more ballots returned by Democrats:
- Democrats: 64,909
- Republicans: 49,996
- No party affiliation: 27,470
- Other: 3,663
When is the deadline to ask for a mail-in ballot?
If you're voting by mail, you need to request a vote-by-mail ballot by 5 p.m. Oct. 22.
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Remember that vote-by-mail ballots must be received by election officials by 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.
A request for a vote-by-mail ballot must be made to the Supervisor of Elections in the county where you are registered. You can make the request:
- in writing using Form DS-DE 160
- in person or
- by phone
Do I need a reason to vote by mail?
No. If you are a registered voter and requested a vote-by-mail ballot by the Oct. 22 deadline, you can vote by mail.
There are 3 ways to vote in Florida
- Vote by mail
- Early voting
- Election Day
All deadlines for Florida's 2026 general election
Here are all the upcoming election deadlines to be aware of:
- 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
Is Ron DeSantis running for governor again?
No. Gov. Ron DeSantis cannot run again for governor because he has already served two consecutive terms. 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.
Why is it called a midterm election?
A presidential election happens every four years. The next one will be in 2028.
An election held mid-way between presidential elections is referred to as a midterm election.
Doris Alvarez is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for The Florida Times-Union. You can get all of Jacksonville’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free Daily Briefing and News Alerts newsletters at jacksonville.com/newsletters
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Not registered to vote? Deadline is Oct. 5 in Florida. What to know
