2026 Florida midterm elections live updates as voters weigh in on key local races
What to know about the 2026 Florida midterm elections
- Florida voters are deciding key federal, statewide and local races, including contests for governor, U.S. Senate, and attorney general.
- One of the most closely watched races is the battle to replace Ron DeSantis. Byron Donalds faces David Jolly in the race for governor.
- Republican U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody is seeking to retain her seat against Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon.
- Florida voters will also decide the race for attorney general between incumbent James Uthmeier and José Javier Rodríguez.
More than 5.4 million Floridians cast ballots before Election Day
Nearly 40% of Florida's registered voters had already cast their ballots before polls opened Tuesday for the 2026 midterm elections, according to the latest figures from the Florida Division of Elections.
As of Monday, more than 5.4 million Floridians had voted, including approximately 3.46 million who voted early in person and 1.94 million who returned mail ballots.
Registered Republicans held a narrow lead in total ballots cast, with approximately 2.18 million votes compared with 2.04 million from registered Democrats. Another 1.05 million ballots came from voters with no party affiliation.
However, Democrats had a higher participation rate among their registered voters, with approximately 49% having already cast ballots compared with 38% of registered Republicans.
The figures reflect voters' party registration, not which candidates they supported.
The early turnout represents about 69% of the total votes cast in Florida's 2022 midterm elections, when approximately 7.8 million people voted.
Election Day voting continues Tuesday, with polls closing at 7 p.m. local time.
Key Florida races we're watching as voters head to the polls
Several major races are drawing attention in Florida's 2026 midterm elections, including contests that could reshape state leadership and influence the balance of power in Washington.
Here's a look at some of the key races CBS News Miami is following:
- Governor: Republican Byron Donalds faces Democrat David Jolly in the race to replace term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis.
- U.S. Senate: Republican incumbent Ashley Moody faces Democrat Angie Nixon in a special election for the seat previously held by Marco Rubio.
- Attorney general: Republican incumbent James Uthmeier faces Democrat Jose Javier Rodriguez.
- U.S. House District 27: Republican incumbent Maria Elvira Salazar faces Democratic challenger Eliott Rodriguez in a closely watched South Florida congressional race.
- U.S. House District 22: Republican Casey Askar faces Democrat Pia Dandiya.
Other congressional contests across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties are also being closely watched as Republicans and Democrats compete for control of the U.S. House.
Florida voters are additionally deciding three constitutional amendments, including a proposal addressing property taxes.
Florida mail-in ballots. Can you still return them? Here's what to know.
With less than an hour before polls close across most of Florida, voters who received mail-in ballots are approaching an important deadline.
Unlike in some other states, simply having a ballot postmarked by Election Day is not enough. Different deadlines apply to certain overseas voters.
Voters cannot drop off completed mail-in ballots at regular Election Day polling places. Instead, they must deliver them to their county Supervisor of Elections' main or branch offices by 7 p.m. local time Tuesday.
Voters can also surrender their mail-in ballot at their assigned polling place and vote in person instead.
Florida voters can also check whether their mail-in ballots have been received and counted through their county's online ballot tracking system.
When will Florida election results start coming in?
With polls set to close in most of Florida at 7 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday, voters are approaching the first results in several closely watched midterm election races.
While polls close at 7 p.m. Eastern across most of the state, voting will continue until 7 p.m. Central time, or 8 p.m. Eastern, in parts of the Panhandle.
According to the Florida Department of State, preliminary statewide election results will begin appearing on the state's official Election Watch website at 8 p.m. Eastern, after all polls have closed.
Counties are required to begin reporting results within 30 minutes of their local polls closing, with additional updates every 45 minutes until reporting is complete.
Some races could be decided Tuesday night, while others may take longer if margins are close or additional ballots remain outstanding.
CBS News Miami will provide live election results, updates and analysis throughout the evening as voters decide key races for governor, U.S. Senate, Congress and other offices.
Florida polls close soon. Here's what voters need to know.
Polls across most of Florida are scheduled to close at 7 p.m. local time Tuesday, giving South Florida voters just one more hour to cast their ballots in the 2026 midterm elections.
However, Florida spans two time zones, meaning polls in parts of the Panhandle will remain open until 7 p.m. Central time, or 8 p.m. Eastern.
If you're still planning to vote, you can cast your ballot as long as you're in line by 7 p.m. local time. Voters who are already waiting when polls close must be allowed to vote, even if they don't reach the voting booth until after 7 p.m.
On Election Day, Florida voters must cast their ballots at their assigned precinct polling location, which may differ from the early voting sites they used in previous elections.
Voters can confirm their polling location through their county Supervisor of Elections website or the Florida Division of Elections.