Secretary of State Cord Byrd Provides Election Readiness Update for the November 3rd General Election

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. -

As General Election Day approaches, Secretary of State Cord Byrd is providing several election readiness reminders ahead of the General Election on Tuesday, November 3^rd, 2026.

"Early voting is now occurring statewide and Floridians from the panhandle through the peninsula are exercising their right to vote, and it is our duty to ensure every election is administered efficiently and with high integrity," said Secretary of State Cord Byrd. "This includes reminding all county supervisors of elections of their constitutional and statutory responsibilities and ensuring all voters that may attempt to violate Florida election law are held accountable. The integrity of free elections is a cornerstone to our Republic, and in Florida, we will uphold the rule of law."

Election Integrity

Florida maintains a vigilant approach in identifying attempts to violate Florida election laws. Floridians should report credible incidents of potential fraud or violations of Florida election law to the Department of State's Office of Election Crimes and Security (OECS). OECS conducts preliminary investigations each year and makes referrals to state law enforcement for further action. Reports can be made to Florida's Voter Fraud Hotline at 877-868-3737 or online at https://dos.fl.gov/offices/election-crimes-and-security/.

Established in 2022, OECS is the first state-level office of its kind in the nation dedicated to investigating election law violations. The office conducts thousands of preliminary investigations annually and refers suspected criminal violations to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. Last year, OECS made nearly 900 referrals of potential election fraud to law enforcement, contributing to arrests and prosecutions. In 2026, the office continues to investigate complaints and refer suspected violations for further action. Just last month, Governor Ron DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier, and Secretary Byrd announced the arrest of 20 defendants charged with illegal voting.

Florida's election security efforts extend beyond investigations and prosecutions. Under Governor DeSantis, the state has strengthened voter identification requirements, reinforced vote-by-mail safeguards, invested in election system cybersecurity, and established rigorous testing and auditing requirements for voting equipment. These protections help ensure that elections are conducted securely, transparently, and in accordance with Florida law.

Information for Voters

Early Voting: All Florida counties offer early voting from October 24 - 31, but some counties offer additional days. A statewide list containing early voting locations and times for all 67 counties is available on the Division of Elections' website.

Paper ballots and verifiable records: Florida law requires paper ballots and Supervisors are obligated to provide voters with a paper ballot. If any voter feels pressured to use a voter interface device, they should immediately contact the Department of State.

Vote-by-Mail: The deadline to request that a ballot be mailed has passed, which is no later than 5 p.m. on the 12th day before the election, or October 22. Supervisors of Elections must mail the ballot within 2 business days after a request but no later than the 10th day before election day. Excluding overseas military ballots, all ballots must be received by 7 p.m. (local time) on election day to be counted.

Voting at the Polls on Election Day: The polls are open on Election Day from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. local time. Any voters waiting in line at 7:00 p.m. local time will have the opportunity to cast a ballot. On Election Day, voters must vote at their assigned polling place. Voters can find their assigned polling place by looking at their voter information card, contacting their county Supervisor of Elections or using the Division's Voter Precinct Lookup webpage.

Florida Requires Voter ID: Florida is the national gold standard for elections administration and ballot security, and voter ID is a critical part of maintaining our high standard of election integrity. By law, all voters must provide a current and valid photo ID at the polls during early voting or on Election Day. A list of acceptable forms of identification for the November 3, 2026 General Election can be found here.

Election Results and Statistics

On Tuesday, November 3, preliminary unofficial election results for Florida's General Election will be available on the Florida Election Watch website at https://floridaelectionwatch.gov. Although polls close at 7:00 p.m. local time, Florida has two time zones (Central and Eastern) and preliminary results will not be posted to the Florida Election Watch website until 8:00 p.m. EST. County canvassing boards are required to begin reporting within half an hour after polls close and every 45 minutes thereafter, with both time zones occurring at the same intervals based on local time.

Transparent and timely election reporting: Florida requires election reporting before results are officially certified. County canvassing boards are required to report to the State within half an hour after polls close and every 45 minutes thereafter until all results are completed.

Early Voting and Vote-by-Mail Ballot Statistics: The Division of Elections provides daily early voting and vote-by-mail ballot statistics. These statistics are compiled from reports filed by the Supervisor of Elections for each county. To access these statistics, please visit the Division of Elections Vote-by-Mail Request & Early Voting Statistics webpage.

Voter Turnout: On Election Day, voter turnout is updated hourly from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time at https://floridaelectionwatch.gov/ElectionDayTurnout. Turnout information is also available from county Supervisors of Elections.

Book closing (Registration Deadline) Reports: On October 5, voter registration books closed for the General Election. The Division of Elections prepares detailed statistical reports on the number of active registered voters as of the day of book closing. These reports are available in Excel and PDF format. To access the current and archived book closing reports, please visit the Division of Elections website.

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About the Florida Department of State

Established under Florida's 1838 Constitution as the Office of the Secretary of State, the Florida Department of State is the keeper of the Great Seal, the clearinghouse for corporate filings, and custodian of the Laws of Florida. Today, the Department leads Florida's election integrity efforts, preserves the state's rich history and heritage, oversees arts and cultural programming, promotes civic literacy, and maintains the Florida State archives, the Museum of Florida History, and several additional historic properties. The Department is also the lead agency for America250FL, Florida's observance of America's Semiquincentennial.