# Florida Primary Sets Stage for November Governor's Race
- Medio: Civic Coast News (https://civiccoastnews.com)
- URL: https://civiccoastnews.com/noticia/florida-primary-sets-stage-for-november-governors-race
- Sección: Politica
- Autor: Civic Coast News Staff
- Publicado: 2026-08-18T07:13:26.481Z
- Actualizado: 2026-08-18T09:43:05.617Z
> Florida holds its primary Tuesday, deciding November's general election candidates including the next governor. Turnout may be low due to summer timing.

## Las claves

- Primary determines November matchups for governor and local offices
- Polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in closed-primary state on Tuesday
- Miami election timing change is also on the ballot

Florida voters will head to the polls Tuesday for a primary election that determines the head-to-head matchups in November, including the candidates who will compete to become the state's next governor. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. While some races and ballot questions are open to all eligible voters, Florida is a closed-primary state, meaning voters generally must be registered with a political party to vote in that party's primary.

### Governor’s Race Takes Center Stage

Among the biggest decisions facing voters is who will advance in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis. "We will have a new governor next year," said Sean Foreman, a political science professor at Barry University. Foreman told CBS News Miami that Republican Congressman Byron Donalds and former Republican Congressman David Jolly, who is running as a Democrat, enter Primary Day in strong positions.

Donalds, who has received President Donald Trump's endorsement, is the frontrunner in a crowded Republican field. Eleven candidates are competing for the GOP nomination, including Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, a close DeSantis ally who has said he is running to "protect the DeSantis legacy." On the Democratic side, six candidates are competing for the nomination, including Jolly.

### Turnout Challenges Loom

Foreman said he believes Jolly has the best chance of emerging as the Democratic nominee. But one of the biggest questions Tuesday may not be just who votes, but how many Floridians actually show up. Foreman said Florida's late-summer primary date can make generating voter enthusiasm particularly challenging.

"We have the problem in Florida with late August primaries," Foreman said. "It's the end of the summer, the beginning of the school year." He said many voters may be distracted by the transition from summer into the new school year. Voter turnout has historically been significantly lower during primary elections than during general elections. According to the Independent Voter Project, an organization that works to educate voters about participation in elections, fewer than 23% of Florida's approximately 15 million registered voters cast ballots in the 2024 primaries.

### Miami Election Timing on Ballot

For voters in the city of Miami, Tuesday's ballot carries another significant question: whether to change the timing of city elections. Foreman said voters will decide whether Miami elections should move from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years, aligning them with larger election cycles.

The issue follows previous efforts to change the city's election schedule, which ultimately led to the matter being placed before voters. "To change the city of Miami election date from odd years to even years and to align them with presidential elections, something they've tried to do before, but the court required to put them to the voters," Foreman said.

### Voting Instructions

Election officials are reminding voters that Election Day voting differs from early voting because voters cannot simply choose any polling location. "From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., you have to go to your precinct," the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections told CBS News Miami. "In your voter registration, in your voter's card, it tells you where is." Voters should verify their assigned precinct before leaving home because polling locations may have changed.

Voters should also bring a valid photo identification, such as a Florida driver license or U.S. passport. With the race for governor, other state and local contests and the Miami election question on the ballot, Tuesday's primary will narrow crowded fields and establish the choices Florida voters will face when they return to the polls in November.
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Fuente original: https://civiccoastnews.com/noticia/florida-primary-sets-stage-for-november-governors-race