(Updated with Sunday return numbers)
Floridians turned out to make their voices heard before Tuesday’s primary, with nearly 2 million vote-by-mail and early voting ballots submitted as of 11 a.m. Aug. 17, according to state election data. That’s about 14.2% of registered Florida voters in 2026.
Republicans turned out in greater numbers for early voting than Democrats, although Dems sent in more vote-by-mail ballots. Vote-by-mail ballots may continue to be received up until polls close on Tuesday evening.
Of the 1,913,737 votes cast so far, 870,850 were from Republicans, and 806,561 were from Democrats. Dems sent in 78,745 more vote-by-mail ballots than GOP voters did, but nearly 143,000 more Republican voters showed up at early voting locations. More than 236,000 voted No Party Affiliation or another party.
Early voting numbers are not necessarily an indication of Election Day turnout or results. Florida is a closed primary state, meaning that voters in the primary are only permitted to vote for candidates in their parties.
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Early voting began Aug. 10 across the state, but many counties added days and started well before then. Eleven counties extended early voting a day past the mandatory date of Aug. 15.
According to the Florida Division of Elections, as of 11 a.m. on Aug. 17, the current breakdown is:
When do polls open for the Florida 2026 primary?
The primary election day is Tuesday, Aug. 18. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
When is the Florida General Election for 2026?
The general election in Florida is on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida primary turnout nearly 2 million. Which party voted most so far
Reporting by C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
