Democrats lead Florida early voting

Florida voters have already submitted 5.4 million ballots for the 2026 midterm elections, according to data released by the Division of Elections on Monday. This figure represents nearly 40 percent of the state's 13.7 million registered voters. The count includes ballots cast via mail and at in-person early voting locations that closed on Sunday.

The early vote totals show a distinct partisan divide. Approximately 49 percent of registered Democrats have cast their ballots. This group contributed 1.2 million votes at early locations and 832,000 through the mail. In contrast, 38.2 percent of registered Republicans have voted, totaling 1.5 million in-person early votes and nearly 679,000 mail ballots. Unaffiliated voters, numbering 3.3 million, have participated at a 31 percent rate, with just over 382,000 mailing in ballots and nearly 669,000 voting in person.

Nikki Fried, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, highlighted the high participation rate among her party's base. In an emailed fundraising message sent Monday morning, Fried stated, "In every county in this state, Democrats are showing up at rates that we have not seen in years." She added, "If we can keep that energy up on Election Day, I believe that we will take back Florida." Fried, who won the agriculture commissioner race in 2018, is the last Democrat to win a statewide office in the state.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds acknowledged the current numbers but expects a shift in the final count. Speaking on the "Florida Unwired" podcast with the News Service of Florida, Donalds said, "I'm very proud of our efforts." He noted that many Republican voters typically cast their ballots on Election Day itself. "We know there are going to be a lot of voters showing up on election day," Donalds said. "So, we just stay focused."

The current early vote total equals 69 percent of the overall turnout recorded in the 2022 midterm elections and 62 percent of the 2018 midterm turnout. Republicans hold a 1.5 million advantage in registered voters statewide, a demographic shift that occurred in 2021. In the 2022 cycle, Republican turnout exceeded Democratic turnout by approximately 600,000 votes.

Polls are scheduled to open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. County elections officials plan to begin posting early vote and mail-in ballot totals roughly 30 minutes after the polls close. The state Division of Elections will release official results after 8 p.m., following the closing of polls in western Panhandle counties within the Central Time Zone.