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We did things a bit differently for this Primary Election Guide than we have in the past. This year, to produce the guide, we partnered with six other news organizations from the News Collaborative of Central Florida: Oviedo Community News, Orlando Sentinel, Osceola Gazette, WKMG News 6, Winter Park Voice and Central Florida Public Media.
As always, VoxPopuli focused on the races with the most impact to the West Orange County area, and these include the county wide elections for mayor, school board chair and Ninth Circuit and county judges along with the District 2 County Commission election. We've also included the Republican and Democratic primaries for House District 39 and Congressional District 11. The winners from those races will go on to the Nov. 3 general election where they will also face NPA and Libertarian candidates.
Our News Collaborative partners covered the statewide elections as well as races in other districts, and you can find all of that coverage here.
Our process this time was different too. Candidates received a questionnaire from the News Collaborative. Then VoxPopuli reporters followed up with all of the candidates who agreed to interviews — and most did — to drill deeper on the issues they will be facing if elected. Kathryn Brudzinski, Roger Jimenez, Connor Barry, Samuel Stiles Williams and Norine Dworkin put together the Voting Guide. Elijah Rakha-Sheketoff assisted with research.
This Voters Guide was produced by the News Collaborative of Central Florida, a collective of independent local news outlets and aligned partners working toward a more informed and engaged Central Florida. Questions for the candidates were created by members of the collaborative and shared with candidates to answer. Attempts were made to contact all candidates to answer our questions – many responded but some did not. If a candidate did not respond, we have done our best to provide answers to our questions based on candidates’ websites, social media posts or public comments. For more information about the News Collaborative of Central Florida, click here.
There's no more convenient way to vote in the Nov. 3 midterm elections than by mail. There's never a line. You can do it in your jammies ... on the couch ... with your favorite snacks on hand ... and your dog by your side. If only everything were that cozy.
But first, you need to REQUEST A MAIL-IN BALLOT by 5 p.m., OCT. 22.
Since all vote-by-mail requests expire after each federal election cycle, so you will need to request another one, if you have not voted since the 2024 elections. (If you voted by mail in the Aug. 18 primaries, any of last year's special elections or this year's municipal elections, your mail ballot request may still be on file, especially if you checked "all elections" when you made your request.)
The Supervisor of Elections has several ways to request a ballot: Call the office at 407-836-VOTE (8683). Visit the site to download and complete the Vote-By Mail Written Request Form (here, in Spanish). Then, either email the form to vbmrequest@ocfelections.gov; fax it to (407) 254-6577; mail it to P.O. Box 562001, Orlando, FL 32856-2001; or drop it off at the Supervisor of Elections office at 119 Kaley Street, Orlando. You can also drop the form off at the new satellite office at the West Oaks Mall at 9401 W. Colonial Drive in Ocoee.
You can also pick up an actual mail-in ballot at the Supervisor of Elections office or the new satellie office at the West Oaks Mall. Or designate someone to pick a ballot up for you, using a designee pick-up forms and affidavit.
If you have a protected address or a disability that prevents you from using a regular ballot or you need a replacement mail-in ballot, contact the Supervisor of Elections office.
Once you complete your mail-in ballot, it must be returned either to the main Supervisor of Elections Office or the West Oaks Mall satellite office by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3 for it to be counted. While the U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld that late-arriving ballots post-marked by Election Day could be counted up to five days later in Mississippi and 18 other states, there is no grace period in Florida. To ensure your ballot is counted, the Supervisor of Elections recommends mailing it "early enough in time for delivery." Or drop it off at any early voting location or at the Supervisor of Elections offices before 7 p.m. on Election Day. (On Nov. 3, the Supervisor of Elections office will be the only location accepting mail ballots.)
You can also designate someone to drop your mail-in ballot off for you. They can take ballots for immediate family members and up to two non-family members. Please remember to sign the outer envelop.
Finally, sign up for BallotTrax to receive email or text updates about the status of your ballot from printing to mail-out to acceptance.
Signatures can change because of age, injury, arthritis. It’s easy to update your signature with a new voter registration application. Mismatched signatures are one of the main reasons mail-in ballots don't get counted. Update yours here to ensure your vote counts. Mail-in ballots with missing signatures on the outside envelope also don’t get counted. Fortunately, voters have two days after the election to “cure” their ballots with this affidavit form in both English and Spanish.
The Orange County Supervisor of Elections has 27 early voting locations for the Nov. 3 midterm election — including seven new polling places added this year. Three of those sites are in Ocoee and Winter Garden: West Oaks Library, Winter Garden Library and Orange County National Golf Center.
Early voting will take place daily, Oct. 19 to Nov. 1, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the locations below.
Remember, you'll need to bring a valid ID with your photo and signature. The Florida SAVE Act doesn't go into effect until 2027, so still-accepted forms of ID include: valid Florida driver’s license, U.S. passport, debit/credit card, military ID, student or senior center ID, public assistance ID, Florida firearms license. (If your ID only has a photo, bring a second one with an updated signature.) If you have a mail ballot, but want to vote in person, you can exchange your mail ballot at any early-voting location. Early voting locations will also have Spanish translators and ADA-compliant voting equipment for those who need it. For more information, visit the Orange County Supervisor of Elections website.
Oct. 5: Last day to register to vote before the midterm elections.
Oct. 16, Oct. 23, Oct. 29, Nov. 2: 8 to 9 a.m. Public observation of mail ballot envelopes before the ballots are opened and counted.
Oct. 19 to Nov. 1: Early voting: Daily, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (See above for locations).
Oct. 22: Last day to request a mail-in ballot: Oct. 22 (Mail ballots can still be picked up at the Supervisor of Elections office through Election Day).
Election Day: Nov. 3, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Returning citizens who have completed their sentences and paid all fines and fees or completed community service in lieu of payment can get their voting rights restored (except for those convicted of murder or felony sex offenses).
That said, voting eligibility can still be challenging to figure out because there is no centralized database with that information. Avenues to explore:
Through the Department of State, fill out a Felon Eligibility Opinion Request form, then email it to the Office of the General Counsel at the Department of State or send it regular mail to R.A. Gray Building, 500 South Bronough St., Ste. 100, Tallahassee, FL 32399.
The Formerly Incarcerated Convicted People & Families Movement’s “Can I Vote?” tool may help returning citizens determine if they can vote in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Orange County Supervisor of Elections has additional information.
