More than 3.5 million Florida voters had cast ballots as of Oct. 28, leaving campaigns six days to persuade supporters who have yet to vote to participate. Figures from the University of Florida Election Lab show 3,531,109 ballots cast statewide, comprising 1,938,019 votes at early voting locations and 1,593,090 mail ballots returned.
The expanding pool of completed ballots gives campaigns a clearer view of which supporters still need to be reached before Election Day. Both major-party candidates for governor campaigned in Tallahassee on Tuesday, with Republican Byron Donalds stressing voter participation and Democrat David Jolly emphasizing household costs and public services.
At a rally, Donalds urged supporters to make voting their priority. "Our mission over the next seven days is really simple. Just get out and vote," he said. His closing message has paired that turnout appeal with support for continued Republican leadership in Florida.
Jolly centered his appeal on whether families can afford housing and obtain health care, along with the education choices available to their children. Housing, health care and education have been central to his final campaign argument. Rising utility costs and the construction of AI data centers have also emerged as key issues during the election cycle, as both candidates make their final push ahead of Nov. 3.
Across the nine counties in FOX 13's viewing area, 854,921 ballots have been cast. Registered Republicans account for 351,695 participating voters, compared with 323,582 registered Democrats. Another 179,644 voters are affiliated with a minor party or have no major-party affiliation.
Hillsborough has the largest ballot total in the region at 226,598. Among those who have voted there, registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by 16,392. Pinellas has recorded 184,597 ballots, with Democratic participation exceeding Republican participation by a smaller margin of 3,402.
Registered Republicans lead participation in Citrus, Hardee, Hernando, Manatee, Pasco and Sarasota counties. Polk is nearly evenly divided between the two major parties. Of its 94,469 participating voters, 38,318 are registered Republicans and 38,186 are registered Democrats, putting the difference at 132.
The previous midterm offers a historical benchmark, though its completed totals cannot yet be directly compared with this year's growing count. In 2022, more than 5 million Floridians voted before Election Day, including roughly 2.77 million by mail and 2.29 million at early voting sites.
Party registration does not establish which candidates received those ballots. Voters can choose candidates from another party, and those without a major-party affiliation can support any candidate in the general election. The 2026 figures, compiled by the Election Lab using Florida Division of Elections and county election office data, will continue changing as early voting proceeds and more mail ballots arrive. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
