Florida polls close as voters decide governor and Senate races

Polls across most of Florida closed at 7 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, marking the end of in-person voting for the 2026 midterm elections. In the Florida Panhandle, which operates on Central time, polling locations remained open until 8 p.m. Eastern. Voters who were already in line when the polls closed were permitted to cast their ballots.

The state’s Department of State indicated that preliminary statewide results would begin appearing on the official Election Watch website at 8 p.m. Eastern. County election officials are required to report their results within 30 minutes of local polls closing, with updates continuing every 45 minutes until the process is complete. Some races may be decided on Tuesday night, while others could take longer if margins are narrow.

Florida voters are deciding contests for governor, U.S. Senate, and attorney general. Byron Donalds faces David Jolly in the race to replace term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis. In the U.S. Senate, Republican incumbent Ashley Moody is challenging Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon for the seat previously held by Marco Rubio. James Uthmeier and José Javier Rodríguez are competing for the office of attorney general.

Several congressional races in South Florida are also drawing attention. In District 27, Republican incumbent Maria Elvira Salazar is running against Democratic challenger Eliott Rodriguez. In District 22, Republican Casey Askar faces Democrat Pia Dandiya. Voters are also deciding three constitutional amendments, including one that addresses property taxes.

According to the Florida Division of Elections, more than 5.4 million Floridians cast ballots before Election Day. This figure includes approximately 3.46 million who voted early in person and 1.94 million who returned mail ballots. This represents nearly 40% of the state's registered voters. The early turnout is about 69% of the total votes cast in the 2022 midterm elections, when approximately 7.8 million people voted.

Registration data showed registered Republicans had a slight lead in total ballots cast, with approximately 2.18 million votes compared to 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 about 49% having already cast ballots compared to 38% of registered Republicans. These figures reflect party registration rather than specific candidate support.

Voters who received mail-in ballots had a deadline of 7 p.m. local time Tuesday to deliver them to their county Supervisor of Elections' main or branch offices. They could not drop off completed mail-in ballots at regular Election Day polling places. Alternatively, voters could surrender their mail-in ballot at their assigned polling place to vote in person. The state’s online ballot tracking system allowed voters to verify if their ballots had been received and counted.

The election covers federal, statewide, and local races. The outcome of the governor's race will determine the next leader of the state. The Senate race will influence the balance of power in Washington. The attorney general contest will decide the state's chief legal officer. Congressional races in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties will impact the composition of the U.S. House. The results of the constitutional amendments will alter state law based on voter approval.