It’s no joke − Florida’s special elections are happening on April 1, usually known as simply being April Fools’ Day.
On Tuesday, Florida voters in 10 counties will cast their votes to fill up vacated seats in Florida’s first and sixth Congressional Districts, formerly occupied by Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz.
Nearly 60,000 Escambia and Santa Rosa county voters already cast their ballots either by mail or through early voting. Those numbers are just a fraction of the almost 370,000 registered voters in both counties, however.
Special election voter turnout: Democratic voter turnout is up for special election to replace Matt Gaetz
On Tuesday, the remaining voters will have until 7 p.m. to decide whether Chief Financial Officer for the state of Florida Jimmy Patronis and Gay Valimont, who ran against Gaetz for the same seat in November, will replace Gaetz in Congress.
Voters in Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties will also vote for their District 3 state representative.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Why is Florida having special elections?
Florida’s 1st and 6th Congressional District seats were left open after the Republicans re-elected to those seats in November were tapped to join the Trump administration. Both elections will be held April 1, 2025.
Florida’s 6th Congressional District seat was left open by Mike Waltz, who held the seat from 2019 through 2024. He was re-elected for his seat in November 2024, but left it vacant when Trump selected him to be the 29th National Security Adviser in January. Before Waltz, now-second-term Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held this seat.
In the 1st District, the seat was left open by former Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz, who resigned when he was tapped to join the Trump administration as the U.S. Attorney General. Gaetz later withdrew himself from consideration for attorney general and Trump selected Pam Bondi for the position.
When do polls open Tuesday for Florida’s special elections?
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day. If you’re still in line to vote at 7 p.m., you will still be allowed to cast your vote.
How to find your precinct and polling site to vote
Escambia County voters can find their precinct and polling site by heading over to EscambiaVotes.gov. Click on the “Find my precinct” button. You’ll be taken to a new page where you’ll enter your house number and street name.
Santa Rosa County voters will visit VoteSantaRosa.gov. Click on the “Find my precinct” button. You’ll be taken to a new page where you’ll enter your house number and street name.
This information can also be found on your voter information card.
What to expect when voting in person?
Never voted in person? No problem, here’s what to expect in Escambia County:
If you need any assistance, don’t hesitate to ask any of the election workers on site.
How to check if you’re registered to vote in Florida
Checking your voter registration status in Florida is an easy process. Here’s how to do it:
After submitting your information, you’ll see a form that provides your voter registration information. At the bottom, you’ll see your registration status, which will say either active or inactive.
What type of ID can you bring to vote?
Florida allows 12 methods of ID that can be used to vote. To vote in person, you must bring a current and valid photo ID with a signature.
Who is on the Statehouse District 3 ballot?
Voters will decide on Tuesday which of the eight Republicans on the primary ballot to send to the full election on June 10 against Democrat Dondre Wise. The seat has been open since late November of last year when Dr. Joel Rudman, who lives in Navarre, announced he was resigning his state House seat to run for the congressional seat left vacant by the departure of Matt Gaetz.
District 3 is composed of all of Santa Rosa County except the southwestern tip, represented by Pensacola resident Alex Andrade, which includes the city of Gulf Breeze, the Pace and Midway communities and Navarre Beach.
District 3 extends enough into North Okaloosa to encompass rural areas north of the county seat of Crestview. The number of registered Republican voters in District 3 in Santa Rosa County outnumber those in Okaloosa County 73,497 to 14,814.
Running from Santa Rosa County is Shon Owens, the mayor of the town of Jay; as well as Hayden Hudson, an assistant state attorney who lives in Pace; and Cindy Smith, who has law enforcement and health care experience, also living in Pace.
Running from Okaloosa County is Nathan Boyles, a three-term Okaloosa County commissioner and Holt resident; Joshua Sik, an assistant state attorney from Baker; Wade Merritt, a small business owner from Baker; and nurse Rena McQuaig, who resides in Fort Walton Beach, well outside District 3.
Florida’s First Congressional District race
Who is Gay Valimont?
Valimont decided to enter the 2024 race against Matt Gaetz for Congress after the tragic loss of both her husband and her 9-year-old son just seven months apart. Her husband, Brian, was diagnosed with ALS, and her son, Eli, was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor. Eli died in September 2021 at 9 years old, and Brian died in April 2022 at the age of 45.
Valimont was born and raised in Thomaston, Georgia, and graduated from Georgia Southern University with a bachelor’s degree in health and exercise science. She went on to get a master’s in education from Troy State University. She went into sports medicine in Atlanta, working with predominantly Black high schools in the area and with the Atlanta Falcons.
Valimont moved to Gulf Breeze after marrying Brian in 2012 and she became a stay-at-home mom and volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. By 2016, she was leader of the Florida chapter as engagement with the group had grown by more than 400%. In 2019, her family moved to Naples and later to New Orleans. But after Eli and Brian’s deaths, Valimont decided to come back to Northwest Florida.
“Our most beautiful years were right here,” Valimont told the USA TODAY Florida Network last year. “So I sat on the beach for six months, and I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life.”
At least not until May 2023, when Gaetz filed a federal stand-your-ground bill in the House. When Valimont learned of the bill, her decision to run was made.
“I knew there was nobody better to fight it than me,” she said.
Read more about Gay Valimont: Who is Gay Valimont? Democrat seeks to shock political world in April 1 special election
Who is Jimmy Patronis?
Patronis is a native of Panama City and has been involved in state politics for more than two decades.
Patronis graduated with a degree in restaurant management from Gulf Coast Community College and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida State University. He grew up in and now is a partner in his family’s historic Panama City seafood restaurant Captain Anderson’s.
Patronis got involved in politics interning for former Broward County state Sen. Ken Jenne in the Florida Senate and in the United Kingdom’s House of Commons before working in the Panama City Chamber of Commerce and the Bay County airport authority. Patronis was appointed to the Florida Elections Commission by Gov. Lawton Chiles in 1998 and re-appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush in 2001.
In 2006, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives and was reelected multiple times. He backed Rick Scott’s gubernatorial bid and was later appointed by Scott to the Florida Public Service Commission in 2015 and the Constitution Revision Commission. In 2017, Scott appointed Patronis to the Chief Financial Officer position, and Patronis won statewide elections to the office in 2018 and 2022.
Patronis touts his time as CFO, saying Florida is in the best financial position in the history of the state when you look at the state’s reserve funds.
Read more about Jimmy Patronis: Who is Jimmy Patronis? Florida CFO seeks to seat in Congress in April 1 special election
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Special election will decide if Valimont or Patronis will replace Gaetz. How to vote:
Reporting by Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
