Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd Issues Election Readiness Update for the August 18 Primary Election

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. –

Today, Secretary of State Cord Byrd issued the following statement prior to Florida’s Primary Election on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.

“Florida’s Primary Election is Tuesday, August 18 and polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. I encourage all Florida voters to exercise their right to vote,” said Secretary of State Cord Byrd. “Preliminary unofficial election results for Florida’s Primary Election will be available on the Florida Election Watch website at https://floridaelectionwatch.gov.”

Information for Florida Voters

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 Check Your Voter Status 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 can be found at: https://dos.fl.gov/elections/for-voters/voting/election-day-voting/.

Election Results and Statistics

Election Results: On Tuesday, August 18, preliminary unofficial election results for Florida’s Primary 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. Eastern Time.

Early Voting and Vote-by-Mail Ballot Statistics: The Division of Elections is providing daily early voting and vote-by-mail ballot statistics. These statistics are compiled from reports last 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.  In addition, county Supervisors of Elections will provide this information on their respective websites. 

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 July 20, voter registration books closed for the Primary 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.

Office of Election Crimes and Security

As Primary Election Day approaches, citizens are reminded that they can report potential election crimes and irregularities to the Department of State’s Office of Election Crimes and Security (OECS).

OECS plays a vital role in ensuring that Florida conducts elections with the highest degree of integrity, security, and efficiency. Florida maintains a vigilant approach to deterring and identifying those who attempt to violate election laws.

In 2022, Florida strengthened voter integrity by establishing the Office of Election Crimes and Security, a first-in-the-nation unit dedicated to investigating and prosecuting election law violations. This year, OECS continues to receive and investigate thousands of complaints and has made hundreds of referrals to law enforcement.

Citizens can make an Election Fraud Complaint by calling Florida’s Voter Fraud Hotline at 877-868-3737 or online at https://dos.fl.gov/offices/election-crimes-and-security/.

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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.

 

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