Get Ready to Vote: The Florida Primary Election
By: Deborah Dietz
Florida’s Primary Election is happening this month!
Election Day is Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
What Is a Primary Election?
A primary election helps each political party choose its candidate for the General Election.
For example, if several Democrats want to run for the same office, Democratic voters choose between them. If several Republicans want to run for that office, Republican voters choose between them.
The winner of each primary becomes that party’s candidate in the General Election in November.
What Is a Closed Primary?
Florida has a closed primary. This means the political party on your voter registration usually decides which primary races appear on your ballot.
- Democrats usually vote in Democratic primary races.
- Republicans usually vote in Republican primary races.
- Voters with no party affiliation usually cannot vote in Democratic or Republican primary races.
A primary race is needed only when more than one candidate from the same party is running for an office. If your party has only one candidate running for that office, there is no primary race to vote in. That candidate becomes the party’s candidate in the General Election.
All registered voters can vote in nonpartisan races. Nonpartisan means the candidates are not running as members of a political party. These races may include judges and school board members. Your ballot may also include local questions.
Primary ballots can look different depending on where voters live, their political party, and which candidates are running.
Even if you do not have a party primary race on your ballot, you may still have important nonpartisan races or local questions to vote on.
Check your political party and other voter information through Florida’s Voter Information Lookup.
What Comes Next?
The General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
In the General Election, you may vote for any candidate on your ballot. You do not have to vote for the political party listed on your voter registration.
Important dates for the General Election:
- October 5, 2026: Last day to register to vote
- October 22, 2026: Last day to ask for a vote-by-mail ballot to be mailed to you
For official dates and voting information, visit the Florida Division of Elections.
To learn about the races and candidates on your ballot, visit VOTE411.org.
