Florida State Senate elections, 2020

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2020 Florida
Senate Elections
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GeneralNovember 3, 2020
PrimaryAugust 18, 2020
Past Election Results
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2020 Elections
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Republicans gained a seat and kept their majority in the 2020 elections for Florida State Senate. Twenty seats in the chamber were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Republicans controlled 23 seats to Democrats' 17. Republicans gained a net one seat from Democrats, leaving the Republican Party with a 24-16 majority. In the 2018 elections, both Republicans and Democrats gained one seat that was previously vacant, with Republicans winning a 23-17 majority.

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia identified four of the races as battlegrounds, one of which was a Democrat-held district while the other three were Republican-held districts. Those battlegrounds were District 9, District 25, District 37, and District 39.

Heading into the election, Florida had been under a Republican trifecta since 1998 when Republicans took control of the governorship. Republicans took control of the state Senate in the 1996 elections and the Florida House of Representatives in the 1994 elections. Had the Democratic Party taken the chamber in 2018, it would have broken the Republican trifecta.

Democrats needed to win all four of the battleground seats as well as one non-battleground seat to take control of the state Senate, while Republicans needed to win one of the battleground seats to keep control of the state Senate.

The Florida State Senate was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in 2020. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections. Out of the 40 seats in the Florida State Senate, 22 were up for election in 2018. At the time of the election, Republicans held 22 seats to Democrats' 16, with two vacancies.

Florida's 2020 state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In Florida, the state legislature is responsible for drafting both congressional and state legislative district plans. Congressional district plans are subject to gubernatorial veto, but state legislative plans are not.

Click here for more information on redistricting procedures in Florida.

Heading into the 2020 general election, Republicans controlled 59 out of 99 state legislative chambers in the U.S., while Democrats controlled 39 chambers. The Alaska House was the sole chamber in which there was a power-sharing agreement between the parties. Republicans also had trifectas in 21 states. A party has a trifecta when it controls the governorship and majorities in both state legislative chambers.

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Florida modified its voter registration procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

  • Voter registration: The voter registration deadline was extended to October 6, 2020.[1]

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

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Party control

See also: Partisan composition of state senates and State government trifectas
Florida State Senate
Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
     Democratic Party 17 16
     Republican Party 23 24
Total 40 40

Districts

See also: Florida state legislative districts

Use the interactive map below to find your district.

Candidates

General election

Florida State Senate general election

  • Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
  • Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Office Democratic Party Democratic Republican Party Republican Other
District 1

Karen Butler  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngDoug Broxson (i)

District 3

Green check mark transparent.pngLoranne Ausley

Marva Harris Preston

District 5

Stacey Peters

Did not make the ballot:
Melina Rayna Barratt 

Green check mark transparent.pngJennifer Bradley

District 7

Heather Hunter  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngTravis Hutson (i)

Richard Dembinsky (No Party Affiliation) (Write-in)

District 9

Patricia Sigman  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngJason Brodeur  Candidate Connection

Jestine Iannotti (No Party Affiliation)

District 11

Green check mark transparent.pngRandolph Bracy III (i)

Joshua Eli Adams  Candidate Connection

District 13

Green check mark transparent.pngLinda Stewart (i)

Josh Anderson

District 15

Green check mark transparent.pngVictor Torres (i)

Lou Minnis  Candidate Connection

Mike James (No Party Affiliation)  Candidate Connection

District 17

Scot Fretwell  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngDebbie Mayfield (i)

Phillip Snyder (No Party Affiliation)  Candidate Connection

District 19

Green check mark transparent.pngDarryl Rouson (i)

Christina Paylan (No Party Affiliation)

District 21

Anthony Eldon

Did not make the ballot:
Amanda Linton  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Boyd

District 23

Katherine Norman

Green check mark transparent.pngJoe Gruters (i)

Robert Samuel Kaplan (No Party Affiliation)

District 25

Corinna Robinson

Green check mark transparent.pngGayle Harrell (i)

District 27

Rachel Brown  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngRay Rodrigues

District 29

Green check mark transparent.pngTina Polsky

Brian Norton  Candidate Connection

District 31

Green check mark transparent.pngLori Berman (i)

Tami Donnally

District 33

The general election was canceled and this candidate was elected:

Green check mark transparent.pngPerry Thurston (i)

Did not make the ballot:
Chadwick Mullings  (Independent) (Write-in)

District 35

Green check mark transparent.pngShevrin Jones

Darien Hill (No Party Affiliation) (Write-in)

District 37

Jose Javier Rodriguez (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngIleana Garcia

Alex Rodriguez (No Party Affiliation)

District 39

Javier Fernandez

Green check mark transparent.pngAna Maria Rodriguez

Celso Alfonso (No Party Affiliation)


The Democratic Party of Florida selected Stacey Peters to replace District 5 candidate Melina Rayna Barratt on the general election ballot after Barratt died on October 5, 2020. Peters received all votes cast for Barratt, whose name still appeared on ballots, which had already been printed before Barratt died.[2]

Local Democratic Party officials chose Anthony Eldon to replace Democratic candidate Amanda Linton on the District 21 general election ballot after Linton withdrew from the race.[3]

Primary election

Florida State Senate primary election

  • Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
  • Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
  • * = The primary was canceled and the candidate advanced.
Office Democratic Party Democratic Republican Party Republican Other
District 1

Green check mark transparent.pngKaren Butler*  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngDoug Broxson* (i)

District 3

Green check mark transparent.pngLoranne Ausley*

Did not make the ballot:
Scott Maddox 

Green check mark transparent.pngMarva Harris Preston
Benjamin Horbowy

Libertarian Party

This primary was canceled.

Did not make the ballot:
Erin Gill  (Libertarian Party)

District 5

Green check mark transparent.pngMelina Rayna Barratt*

Green check mark transparent.pngJennifer Bradley
Jason Holifield

Libertarian Party

This primary was canceled.

Did not make the ballot:
Matt McCary  (Libertarian Party) Candidate Connection

District 7

Green check mark transparent.pngHeather Hunter*  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngTravis Hutson* (i)

District 9

Rick Ashby  Candidate Connection
Alexis Carter  Candidate Connection
H. Alexander Duncan
Guerdy Remy  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngPatricia Sigman  Candidate Connection

Did not make the ballot:
Justin Miller 

Green check mark transparent.pngJason Brodeur*  Candidate Connection

Did not make the ballot:
Alex Kristowicz 

District 11

Green check mark transparent.pngRandolph Bracy III* (i)

Did not make the ballot:
Charles Law Jr. 

Green check mark transparent.pngJoshua Eli Adams*  Candidate Connection

District 13

Green check mark transparent.pngLinda Stewart* (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngJosh Anderson*

District 15

Green check mark transparent.pngVictor Torres* (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngLou Minnis*  Candidate Connection

District 17

Green check mark transparent.pngScot Fretwell*  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngDebbie Mayfield* (i)

District 19

Green check mark transparent.pngDarryl Rouson* (i)

The Republican primary was canceled.


Did not make the ballot:
Kriztofer Cole 
Yolanda Valdez 

District 21

Green check mark transparent.pngAmanda Linton*  Candidate Connection

Did not make the ballot:
Timothy Frie 

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Boyd
John Houman  Candidate Connection

District 23

Green check mark transparent.pngKatherine Norman*

Green check mark transparent.pngJoe Gruters* (i)

Did not make the ballot:
Greg Steube 

District 25

Reinaldo Diaz
Green check mark transparent.pngCorinna Robinson

Green check mark transparent.pngGayle Harrell* (i)

District 27

Green check mark transparent.pngRachel Brown*  Candidate Connection

Heather Fitzenhagen
Green check mark transparent.pngRay Rodrigues

District 29

Green check mark transparent.pngTina Polsky
Irving Slosberg

Did not make the ballot:
Kevin J.G. Rader (i)
Matt Deitsch 

Green check mark transparent.pngBrian Norton*  Candidate Connection

District 31

Green check mark transparent.pngLori Berman* (i)

Did not make the ballot:
Irving Slosberg 

Green check mark transparent.pngTami Donnally*

District 33

Green check mark transparent.pngPerry Thurston (i)
Terry Edden
Steven Meza
Shelton Pooler

The Republican primary was canceled.


District 35

Daphne Campbell
Wilbur Harbin
Erhabor Ighodaro
Green check mark transparent.pngShevrin Jones
Cynthia Stafford
Barbara Watson

The Republican primary was canceled.


Did not make the ballot:
Josue Larose 

District 37

Green check mark transparent.pngJose Javier Rodriguez* (i)

Did not make the ballot:
Michael Hepburn 

Green check mark transparent.pngIleana Garcia*

Did not make the ballot:
Raquel Regalado 
Erik Fresen 

District 39

Green check mark transparent.pngJavier Fernandez
Daniel Horton-Diaz

Did not make the ballot:
Anna Hochkammer 

Green check mark transparent.pngAna Maria Rodriguez*

Did not make the ballot:
Jeanette Nuñez 
Angie Chirino 

Campaign finance

See also: Florida State Senate elections, 2020/Campaign finance

The section and tables below contain data from financial reports submitted to state agencies. Districts and elections are grouped in sections of 10. To view data for a district, click on the appropriate bar below to expand it. The data is gathered and made available by Transparency USA.

2020 battleground chamber

See also: State legislative battleground chambers, 2020

The Florida State Senate was among 24 state legislative chambers Ballotpedia identified as battleground chambers for the 2020 cycle. Click here for more information on state legislative battlegrounds.

What was at stake?

  • Democrats needed to gain four seats to take control of the chamber in 2020.
  • If Democrats had flipped or split control of the chamber, they would have broken the Republican trifecta. If Republicans had maintained their majorities in the state House and Senate, they would have preserved their trifecta.

Why was it a battleground?

  • Seats decided by 10% or less in 2016: The last time this set of seats was up, seven races (35% of the total) were decided by a margin of 10% or smaller.
  • Race ratings: The Cook Political Report rated the Florida State Senate a leans Republican chamber in 2020, meaning that both parties had a good chance at winning control of the chamber but that Republicans were slightly favored to retain control.[4]


Battleground races

Florida State Senate
Battleground races
Republican Party District 9
Republican Party District 25
Democratic Party District 37
Republican Party District 39

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia identified four battleground races in the Florida State Senate 2020 elections, one of which was a Democrat-held district while the other three were Republican-held districts. Based on analysis of these districts' electoral histories, these races had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could possibly have led to shifts in a chamber's partisan balance.

To determine state legislative battleground races in 2020, Ballotpedia looked for races that fit one or more of the four factors listed below:

  1. In the last state legislative election, the winner received less than 55% of the vote.
  2. The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the most recent state legislative election winner won by a margin of 10 percentage points or less.
  3. The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the incumbent is not on the ballot this year.
  4. The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and that presidential candidate won the district by a margin of 20 percentage points or more.

Republican PartyDistrict 9

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Patricia Sigman
Republican Party Jason Brodeur
Independent Jestine Iannotti

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the winner in 2012 received more than 20% of the vote, while the winner in 2016 was of a different party than the winner in 2012. Audrey Gibson (D) was elected in 2012 where she received 63.6 percent of the vote and defeated Cherron Newby (R) by 27.2 percentage points. In 2016, David Simmons (R) ran unopposed, but is not running for reelection in 2020. District 9 was one of 21 Florida state Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 9 by 3.9 percentage points.

Campaign finance

Republican PartyDistrict 25

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Republican Party Gayle Harrell (incumbent)
Democratic Party Corinna Robinson

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the winner in the last state legislative election received less than 55% of the vote. Incumbent Gayle Harrell (R) was first elected in 2018 where he received 54.3 percent of the vote and defeated Robert Levy (D) by 8.6 percentage points. District 25 was one of 21 Florida state Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 25 by 11.6 percentage points.

Campaign finance

Democratic PartyDistrict 37

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Democratic Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Jose Javier Rodriguez (incumbent)
Republican Party Ileana Garcia
Independent Alex Rodriguez

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the winner in the last state legislative election received less than 55% of the vote. Jose Javier Rodriguez (D) won the 2016 election when he received 48.9 percent of the vote and defeated then-incumbent Miguel Diaz de la Portilla by 3.3 percentage points. District 37 was one of 21 Florida Senate districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 37 by 21.8 percentage points.

Campaign finance

Republican PartyDistrict 39

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Javier Fernandez
Republican Party Ana Maria Rodriguez
Independent Celso Alfonso

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, the incumbent is not on the ballot this year, and the winner in the last state legislative election received less than 55% of the vote. Anitere Flores (R) won the 2016 election when she received 54.2 percent of the vote and defeated her Democratic challenger by 8.5 percentage points. Flores was not able to file for re-election in 2020 due to term limits. District 39 was one of 21 Florida Senate districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 39 by 10.3 percentage points.

Campaign finance

Battleground races map

Incumbents who were not re-elected

See also: Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 10, 2020

Incumbents defeated in the general election

One incumbent lost in the Nov. 3 general election. That incumbent was:

Name Party Office
Jose Javier Rodriguez Electiondot.png Democratic Senate District 37

Incumbents defeated in primary elections

No incumbents were defeated in the Aug. 18 primaries.

Retiring incumbents

There were eight open seats where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020.[5] Those incumbents were:

Name Party Office Reason
Bill Montford Electiondot.png Democratic Senate District 3 Term limited
Rob Bradley Ends.png Republican Senate District 5 Term limited
David Simmons Ends.png Republican Senate District 9 Term limited
Bill Galvano Ends.png Republican Senate District 21 Term limited
Lizbeth Benacquisto Ends.png Republican Senate District 27 Term limited
Kevin J.G. Rader Electiondot.png Democratic Senate District 29 Retired
Oscar Braynon Electiondot.png Democratic Senate District 35 Term limited
Anitere Flores Ends.png Republican Senate District 39 Term limited


The eight seats left open in 2020 represented an increase from the six open in 2018.

Open Seats in Florida State Senate elections: 2010 - 2020
Year Total seats Open seats Seats with incumbents running for re-election
2020 20 8 (40 percent) 12 (60 percent)
2018 22 6 (27 percent) 16 (73 percent)
2016 40 18 (45 percent) 22 (55 percent)
2014 20 0 (0 percent) 20 (100 percent)
2012 40 14 (35 percent) 26 (65percent)
2010 20 12 (60 percent) 8 (40 percent)

Noteworthy events

Campaign finance charges related to District 37 election (2021)

See also: Alex Rodriguez and Frank Artiles

In March 2021, District 37 candidate Alex Rodriguez (NPA) and former state Sen. Frank Artiles (R) were arrested. Investigators alleged that Artiles offered to pay Rodriguez $50,000 (half before and half after the election) to enter the race because Rodriguez shared the same last name as incumbent Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez (D). Ileana Garcia (R) defeated Jose Rodriguez by 32 votes in the general election, while Alex Rodriguez received 6,000 votes.[6]

On August 24, 2021, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to two charges of campaign finance crimes and agreed to participate in the investigation against Artiles. As a result of the plea deal, Rodriguez was sentenced to three years probation, including one year of house arrest with a GPS monitor. Rodriguez cannot work for any political campaigns during his probation and must cooperate with prosecutors in Artiles' case.[7]

Redistricting in Florida

See also: Redistricting in Florida

In Florida, both congressional and state legislative district lines are drawn by the state legislature. Congressional lines are adopted as regular legislation and are subject to gubernatorial veto. State legislative lines are passed via joint resolution and are not subject to gubernatorial veto. State legislative district maps are automatically submitted to the Florida Supreme Court for approval. In the event that the court rejects the lines, the legislature is given a second chance to draft a plan. If the legislature cannot approve a state legislative redistricting plan, the state attorney general must ask the state supreme court to draft a plan. There are no similar procedures in place for congressional districts.[8]

The Florida Constitution requires that all districts, whether congressional or state legislative, be contiguous. Also, "where doing so does not conflict with minority rights, [districts] must be compact and utilize existing political and geographical boundaries where feasible." Districts cannot be drawn in such a way as to "favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent."[8][9]

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Florida

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Chapter 99 of the Florida Statutes

In Florida, a candidate cannot file for more than one office at a time if the terms of those offices run concurrently. Thus, any elected public official wishing to run for office must resign if the term of that office will run concurrently with the office the official currently holds.[10]

Qualifying as a candidate

Major party, minor party, and unaffiliated candidates in Florida file in the same way. All qualifying paperwork and filing fees must be submitted to the Florida Department of State, Division of Elections, during the qualifying period corresponding to the office being sought. Qualifying periods are as follows:[11]

  1. For candidates seeking federal office, state attorney, or public defender, filing may begin after noon on the 120th day prior to the primary election and must be completed no later than noon on the 116th day before the primary election.
  2. For candidates seeking state office, other than state attorney or public defender, filing may begin after noon on the 71st day before the primary election and must be completed no later than noon on the 67th day before the primary election.
  • During a year in which the Florida State Legislature apportions the state, all candidates must file during the qualifying period designated for those seeking state office.

During the qualifying period, every candidate must file a full and public disclosure of financial interests, a form designating a campaign treasurer and campaign depository, qualifying fees or in-lieu-of-fee petitions, and a candidate oath. The candidate oath must be administered by the qualifying officer and must be signed in its written form by both the candidate and the qualifying officer, affirming the following:[10]

  1. The candidate is a registered voter.
  2. The candidate is qualified to run for and hold the office being sought.
  3. The candidate has not qualified for any other office in the state that runs for the same term as the office sought.
  4. The candidate has resigned from any other public office whose term would run at the same time as the office being sought.
  5. The assessment fee has been paid.
  6. If running with a political party, the candidate has not been a registered member of any other political party for 365 days before the beginning of the qualifying period.

Candidate filing fees

In Florida, candidates are required to pay filing fees and election assessment fees to the Division of Elections when qualifying. A party assessment fee may also be required, if the party the candidate is running with elects to levy one. For political party candidates, total fees are equal to 6 percent of the annual salary of the office being sought (i.e., a 3 percent filing fee, a 1 percent election assessment, and a 2 percent party assessment). For unaffiliated candidates, total fees are equal to 4 percent of the annual salary of the office being sought. (i.e., a 3 percent filing fee and a 1 percent election assessment).[12]

A candidate may waive the required filing fees if he or she submits an in-lieu-of-filing-fee petition with signatures equal to at least 1 percent of the total number of registered voters in the geographical area represented by the office being sought. Signatures for this petition may not be collected until the candidate has filed the appointment of campaign treasurer and designation of campaign depository form, and the completed petition must be filed by the 28th day preceding the first day of the qualifying period for the office being sought. This petition must be filed with the supervisor of elections in each county in which the petition was circulated in order to verify the signatures. The supervisor of elections in the county must then certify the number of valid signatures to the Florida Division of Elections no later than seven days prior to the first day of the corresponding qualifying period.[13]

Write-in candidates

A write-in candidate is not entitled to have his or her name printed on any ballots, but a space is provided for voters to write in a candidate's name on the general election ballot. A candidate may not qualify as a write-in candidate if he or she has qualified to run for public office by other means.[11][14]

A write-in candidate is required to file a candidate oath with the Florida Division of Elections. This is due during the standard qualifying period for the office being sought. A write-in candidate is not required to pay any filing fees.[11][15]

2020 ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for Florida State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Florida State Senate Qualified party N/A $1,781.82 6/12/2020 Source
Florida State Senate Unaffiliated N/A $1,187.88 6/12/2020 Source

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

To run for the Florida State Senate, candidates must be 21 years old, have lived in Florida for two years and live in the district they intend to serve.[16]

Salaries and per diem

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[17]
SalaryPer diem
$29,697/year$175/day for a maximum of 60 days. Members can also receive per diem outside of the session.

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Florida legislators assume office on the day they are elected in the general election.[18]

Open seats

The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.

Open Seats in Florida State Senate elections: 2010 - 2020
Year Total seats Open seats Seats with incumbents running for re-election
2020 20 8 (40 percent) 12 (60 percent)
2018 22 6 (27 percent) 16 (73 percent)
2016 40 18 (45 percent) 22 (55 percent)
2014 20 0 (0 percent) 20 (100 percent)
2012 40 14 (35 percent) 26 (65percent)
2010 20 12 (60 percent) 8 (40 percent)

Florida political history

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.

Florida Party Control: 1992-2024
One year of a Democratic trifecta  •  Twenty-six years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R I R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D S S R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Presidential politics in Florida

2016 Presidential election results

U.S. presidential election, Florida, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
     Democratic Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine 47.8% 4,504,975 0
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngDonald Trump/Mike Pence 49% 4,617,886 29
     Libertarian Gary Johnson/Bill Weld 2.2% 207,043 0
     Green Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka 0.7% 64,399 0
     Constitution Darrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley 0.2% 16,475 0
     Reform Rocky De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg 0.1% 9,108 0
     - Other/Write-in 0% 153 0
Total Votes 9,420,039 29
Election results via: Florida Division of Elections

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Florida utilizes a closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.[19][20]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In Florida, all polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. Florida is divided between the Eastern and Central time zones. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[21]

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Florida, one must be at least 18 years of age, a citizen of the United States, and a legal resident of Florida and the county in which he or she intends to vote. Pre-registration is available beginning at 16 years of age.[22][23]

Voters may retrieve registration applications at the following locations:[22]

  • Local elections offices
  • Public assistance agencies
  • Disability services agencies
  • Independent living centers
  • Military recruitment offices
  • Public libraries
  • Drivers license office
  • Tax collector's office
  • The office of any entity authorized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to issue fishing, hunting, or trapping permits

A registration form is also available online. The form can be printed and submitted via mail.[23]

Click here to find your county Supervisor of Elections.

Automatic registration

Florida does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Florida has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Voters may also apply for or modify their voter registration status while renewing their driver's license through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ online renewal system here.

Same-day registration

Florida does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Florida, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Florida does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, "it is a 3rd degree felony to submit false information." [24]

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[25] As of January 2025, six states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The page Voter Information Lookup, run by the Florida Department of State, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Florida requires voters to present photo identification with a signature while voting.[26][27]

The following list of accepted ID was current as of July 2024. Click here for the Florida Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

  • Florida driver’s license
  • Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
  • United States passport
  • Debit or credit card
  • Military identification
  • Student identification
  • Retirement center identification
  • Neighborhood association identification
  • Public assistance identification
  • Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
  • License to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06
  • Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the federal government, the state, a county, or a municipality

A voter who presents an ID without a signature must show a second form of identification that includes the voter’s signature.

Early voting

Florida permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

All voters are eligible to vote by mail in Florida. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting by mail.[28]

To vote by mail, an application must be received by 5:00 p.m. on the 12th day before the election. Election officials must mail the ballot out within 2 business days after a request, but no later than the 10th day before election day.[28]

A returned ballot must then be received by election officials by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.[28]


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. This change was not due to COVID-19. This deadline was extended after the state's voter registration website crashed.
  2. Florida Politics, "Democrats tap Stacey Peters as replacement nominee in SD 5," October 20, 2020
  3. Herald-Tribune, "Democrats pick teacher to replace candidate who quit race for state Senate covering Manatee County," August 17, 2020
  4. The Cook Political Report, "July Update: Handicapping the 2020 State Legislature Races," July 22, 2020
  5. Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
  6. Local10, "Ex-Florida Sen. Frank Artiles walks out of jail facing felony campaign finance charges," March 18, 2021
  7. Miami Herald, "No-party candidate in Miami election fraud case takes plea deal, apologizes to voters," August 24, 2021
  8. 8.0 8.1 All About Redistricting, "Florida," accessed April 22, 2015
  9. Florida Constitution, "Article III, Sections 20-21," accessed April 22, 2015
  10. 10.0 10.1 Florida Statutes, "Title IX, Chapter 97, Section 012," accessed March 6, 2025 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "flstatute99.012" defined multiple times with different content
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Florida Statutes, "Title IX, Chapter 99, Section 061," accessed March 6, 2025
  12. Florida Statutes, "Title IX, Chapter 99, Section 092," accessed March 6, 2025
  13. Florida Statutes, "Title IX, Chapter 99, Section 095," accessed March 6, 2025
  14. Florida Statutes, "Title IX, Chapter 99, Section 061," accessed March 6, 2025
  15. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named flstatute99.021
  16. Florida Division of Elections, "Candidate Qualifying Information," accessed December 16, 2103
  17. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
  18. Florida Constitution, "Article III, Section 15(d)," accessed November 22, 2016
  19. National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed July 23, 2024
  20. Florida Division of Elections, "Closed Primary Election," accessed July 23, 2024
  21. Florida Secretary of State, "FAQ - Voting," accessed July 23, 2024
  22. 22.0 22.1 Florida Division of Elections, "National Voter Registration Act (NVRA)," accessed July 23, 2024
  23. 23.0 23.1 Florida Division of Elections, "Register to Vote or Update your Information," accessed July 23, 2024
  24. Florida Department of State, "Florida Voter Registration Application Instructions and Form," accessed November 1, 2024
  25. Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
  26. Florida Division of Elections, "Election Day Voting," accessed July 22, 2024
  27. Florida Division of Elections, "Florida History: Voter ID at the Polls," accessed July 22, 2024
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 Florida Division of Elections, "Vote-by-Mail," accessed July 23, 2024


Current members of the Florida State Senate
Leadership
Senate President:Ben Albritton
Majority Leader:Jim Boyd
Senators
District 1
Don Gaetz (R)
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
Tom Leek (R)
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
Vacant
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
Vacant
District 20
Jim Boyd (R)
District 21
Ed Hooper (R)
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 39
District 40
Republican Party (27)
Democratic Party (10)
No Party Affiliation (1)
Vacancies (2)