Tampa Election Day 2026 Voting Guide: Where, How To Vote; Candidates

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Voters in Tampa and across Hillsborough County will take to the polls on Tuesday, deciding governor, U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, and state legislative races, along with local contests, in the Nov. 3 midterm election.

They will also have a say on state constitutional amendments and county charter referendums on Election Day.

Most Florida polling places are open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST, while some counties in the Panhandle are open until 8 p.m. EST because they're in the Central Time Zone. (Be sure to bring a photo ID with you.)

Find more information on how to vote, as well as candidates and issues on this year's ballot below. Find a sample ballot here.

Voter Turnout

Even before the polls open on Tuesday morning, about 40 percent of about 13.7 million registered voters in Florida have already cast their ballot, according to the University of Florida Election Lab.

Nearly 5.46 million voters in the state voted early, either in person (nearly 3.47 million) or by mail (about 1.99 million,) according to the Election Lab.

About 2.06 million or 37.8 percent of registered Democrats and about 2.92 million or 40.2 percent of registered Republicans opted to vote early, data shows. About 1.2 million or 22 percent of independent voters also voted early.

In Hillsborough County, just over 43 percent of eligible voters (nearly 356,000) voted early, with 60.9 percent (nearly 217,000) voting in person and 39.1 percent (nearly 139,000) voting by mail, according to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections office.

Of these early voters, 41.5 percent are registered Democrats, 35.1 percent are Republicans and 23.4 percent have no party affiliation, data shows.

How to Vote in Hillsborough County

Polling places across the county are open to registered voters from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST on Nov. 3. If you are in line at 7 p.m., you will be allowed to vote, but if you arrive at the polling place after 7 p.m., you will not be allowed to vote.

On Election Day, you may only vote in person at the polling place assigned to your district.

Before voting, you can review your voter registration information, including where you vote, here. You can also review your personalized sample ballot.

If you voted by mail, you can track the status of your ballot here.

Forms of ID

In order to cast your ballot at the polls, you’ll need to bring a valid and current photo and signature ID to your polling station.

Acceptable forms of ID in Florida include:

• Florida driver license
• Florida ID card (issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles)
• U.S. passport
• Debit or credit card
• Military ID
• Student ID
• Retirement center ID
• Neighborhood association ID
• Public assistance ID
• Veteran health ID (issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)
• Concealed weapon license (issued pursuant to F.S. 790.06)
• Employee ID card issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the federal government, the state, a county, or a municipality.

If your photo ID doesn't contain your signature, an additional ID with your signature is required.

Without proper identification, you may still vote with a provisional ballot, which will later be evaluated by a canvassing board for eligibility.

Voters are welcome to bring a sample ballot to the polling place marked with their choices so there are no delays in voting.

When you arrive at the polls:

1. Check in with your valid and current photo and signature ID.
2. Receive your paper ballot and proceed to a privacy booth.
3. Using the black pen provided, completely fill in the oval next to each of your selections.
4. Review your ballot. If you wish to make changes, request another ballot.
5. If you have any questions, ask a poll worker before you insert the ballot in the scanner. Once a ballot has been accepted, it cannot be retrieved.

Candidates and Issues

Hillsborough County voters will cast votes for candidates in multiple state and local races, and will also have a say in statewide and county issues in the Nov. 3 general election.

A sample ballot can be found here.

The following candidates and issues will be on the ballot. Voters will select one in each race unless noted otherwise.

Patch sent candidate questionnaires to those running for Hillsborough County Commission and Hillsborough County Schools seats. The profiles of candidates who responded to our questionnaires are linked at their name; if a candidate name has no link, that means they didn’t respond.

Federal Races:

U.S. Senator

• Ashley Moody, Republican
• Angie Nixon, Democrat
• Neil J. Gillespie, No Party Affiliation

U.S. House of Representatives, District 12

• Gus Michael Bilrakis, Republican
• Kimberly Overman, Democrat
• Brandon Scrivener, No Party Affiliation

U.S. House of Representatives, District 14

• Michael Beltran, Republican
• Kathy Castor, Democrat
• Brian Lambert, Libertarian Party of Florida
• Qualified Write-In Candidates - Salomon Hernandez, Sr. and Keith Varian

U.S. House of Representatives, District 15

• Laurel Lee, Republican
• Robert People, Democrat
• Qualified Write-In Candidate - Angie Boone

Statewide Races:

Governor and Lieutenant Governor

• Byron Donalds/Bryan Avila, Republican
• David Jolly/Gwen Graham, Democrat
• Scott Eckhard Jewett/Nicole Skelly, Libertarian Party of Florida
• Charles Burkett/Ruben Coto, No Party Affiliation
• Frank J. Russo/Rachel Rodriguez, No Party Affiliation
• Moliere “Moe” Dimanche/Benjaman Rojas, No Party Affiliation
• Dean Ocean Abrams/Joe Van Vactor, No Party Affiliation
• Jeffrey Peter “Dr. Jeff” Datto/Juan Santana, No Party Affiliation
• Qualified Write-In Candidates - Kathy Anderson/Daniel Nokovich and Erik Morris/LeRoy Alaways

Attorney General

• James Uthmeier, Republican
• Jose Javier Rodriguez, Democrat

Chief Financial Officer

• Blaise Ingoglia, Republican
• Annette Taddeo, Democrat

Commissioner of Agriculture

• Wilton Simpson, Republican
• Joey Mendoza Atkins, Democrat
• Qualified Write-In Candidate - Kyle “KC” Gibson

State Senator, District 14

• Josie Tomkow, Republican
• Brian Nathan, Democrat

State Senator, District 20

• Jim Boyd, Republican
• Gerald Baldi, Democrat

State Representative, District 64

• Dan Weldon, Republican
• Luis Salazar, Democrat

State Representative, District 65

• Karen Gonzalez Pittman, Republican
• Ben Braver, Democrat

State Representative, District 66

• Traci Koster, Republican
• Jose A. “Dante” Sanchez Sanchez, Democrat

State Representative, District 67

• Lisette Bonano, Republican
• Luis Viera, Democrat

State Representative, District 68

• Ryan Gill, Republican
• Tony Smith, Democrat

State Representative, District 69

• Daniel “Danny” Alvarez, Republican
• Ashley Elizabeth Herrmann, Democrat

State Representative, District 70

• Michael Owen, Republican
• Luther Keith Wilkins, Democrat

Judicial Retention:

Justice of the Supreme Court

Shall Justice Carlos G. Muniz of the Supreme Court be retained in office?

• Yes
• No

District Court of Appeal

Shall Justice Drew Atkins of the Second District Court of Appeal be retained in office?

• Yes
• No

Shall Justice Morris Silberman of the Second District Court of Appeal be retained in office?

• Yes
• No

Shall Justice Daniel H. Sleet of the Second District Court of Appeal be retained in office?

• Yes
• No

Shall Justice Andrea Teves Smith of the Second District Court of Appeal be retained in office?

• Yes
• No

Hillsborough County Races:

Board of County Commissioners, District 1

• Jackie Toledo, Republican
• Harry Cohen, Democrat

Board of County Commissioners, District 3

• Luiz F. F. Garcia, Republican
• Gwen Myers, Democrat

Board of County Commissioners, District 5

• Stacy Hahn, Republican
• Neil Manimala, Democrat

Board of County Commissioners, District 7

• Joshua Wostal, Republican
• Aileen Rodriguez, Democrat

School Board Member, District 1

• Brittany Lyssy
• Daniela Simic

School Board Member, District 6

• Kenneth “Ken” Gay
• Karen Perez

Municipal and Special District Races:

Temple Terrace City Council (vote for no more than three)

• Alison McGillivray Fernandez
• Ryan Gessman
• Karen Michalski
• Eugene Papantonious
• Amber Treat

Supervisor, Avelar Creek Community Development District, Seat 3

• Frank B. Franco
• Sebastian Johnson

Supervisor, Avelar Creek Community Development District, Seat 4

• Julie Campbell
• Edwin Guillot

Supervisor, Cory Lakes Community Development District, Seat 5

• Pallu Gupta
• Cynthia McIntyre

Supervisor, Covington Park Community Development District, Seat 2

• Stephen J. Brown
• Rick L. Reidt

Supervisor, Diamond Hill Community Development District, Seat 2

• Linda L. Dunn
• John I. Pollard

Supervisor, Fishhawk Ranch Community Development District, Seat 4

• India Crawford
• Dennis Moore

Supervisor, Harbor Bay Community Development District, Seat 2

• Daniel J. Leventry
• John Vollbrecht

Supervisor, Hidden Creek Community Development District, Seat 2

• Zoe Anene
• Barbara A. Kargol

Supervisor, Hidden Creek Community Development District, Seat 5

• Harry Payton Gibson
• Thomas H. Marrone
• Elizabeth “Liz” Santeramo

Supervisor, K-Bar Ranch II Community Development District, Seat 4

• Kamolika Batabyal
• Michele Emery

Supervisor, Lake St. Charles Community Development District, Seat 1

• Ginny Gianakos
• Stephanie Hinson
• Ana Loney

Supervisor, Lake St. Charles Community Development District, Seat 2

• Yvonne Brown
• Barbara A. Kirby
• Toni Kristina Rhodus

Supervisor, River Bend Community Development District, Seat 3

• Lance C. Belka
• Shannell McMiller Brown

Supervisor, Rivercrest Community Development District, Seat 1

• Robert F. Fuhrmeister IV
• Joseph A. McGee, Sr.

Supervisor, Shell Point Community Development District, Seat 2

• Jayce E. Donley
• Brittany Schwartznauer

Supervisor, South Fork III Community Development District, Seat 3

• Scott Corder
• Dustin Heflin

Supervisor, South Fork III Community Development District, Seat 5

• Darryl F. Drew
• Jessica Ocasio

Supervisor, Southshore Bay Community Development District, Seat 2

• Diane C. Anderson
• Kathleen Robinson

Supervisor, Spring Lake Community Development District, Seat 1

• Danny R. Donegan Jr.
• Kenneth A. Hoefle

Supervisor, Triple Creek Community Development District, Seat 1

• Marc Carlton
• Mirtha Amalia Moreno

Supervisor, Triple Creek Community Development District, Seat 2

• David Galloway
• Shannon Lewis
• Jodi Steel

Supervisor, Waterleaf Community Development District, Seat 2

• Alex Auld
• Palmer Johnson

Supervisor, Waterleaf Community Development District, Seat 3

• Nichole Ann Hawkins
• Matthew Lenard

Florida Constitutional Amendments

No. 1 - Constitutional Amendment Article II, Section 19 - Budget Stabilization Fund

Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to increase the amount of funds that may be retained in the budget stabilization fund from 10% to 25% of general revenue collections, require the legislature to transfer the lesser of $750 million or the amount required to reach 25% of the general revenue collections each year unless certain conditions are met, and allow the legislature to withdraw funds for critical state needs.

• Yes
• No

No. 2 - Constitutional Amendment, Article VII, Section 3; Article XII - Exemption of Tangible Personal Property on Agricultural Land from Taxation

Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to exempt tangible personal property habitually located or typically present on land classified as agricultural, used in the production of agricultural products or for agritourism activities, and owned by the landowner or leaseholder of the agricultural land from ad valorem taxation. If approved this amendment would first apply for tax years beginning January 1, 2027.

• Yes
• No

No. 3 - Constitutional Amendment Article VII, Sections 4, 6 and 9; Article XII - Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments

This amendment increases the homestead exemption, for all non-school taxes, to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, and adjusts for inflation thereafter. It requires the Legislature to prescribe a uniform procedure for counties and municipalities, for their respective levies, to increase the homestead exemption up to full assessed value, and allows special districts, subject to referendum approval, to do the same.

Persons who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026, will receive the existing homestead exemption upon qualifying for a homestead exemption, with the increased homestead exemption beginning with the fifth year of exemption, to the extent permitted by the U.S. Constitution.

This amendment reduces the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead properties from 10% to 5%.

This amendment requires counties and municipalities to use property taxes solely for public safety, education and schools, infrastructure, natural resources, bond debt service, retirement benefits for employees, and operations and administration. Other expenditures may be approved by county officers or county or municipal governing bodies unless prohibited by general law, notwithstanding Article VII, Section 9(a) of the Florida Constitution, which allows counties and municipalities to levy property taxes for their respective purposes.

This amendment takes effect January 1, 2027.

• Yes
• No

Hillsborough County Referendums

No. 1 - Providing for an Elected, Rather than an Appointed, Superintendent of Schools

Shall Chapter 2026-196, Laws of Florida, which provides that the Superintendent of Schools for Hillsborough County Public Schools shall no longer be appointed by the School Board, but shall be elected in a partisan election for a term of 4 years, beginning with the 2028 general election, become effective?

• Yes
• No

No. 2 - Amending the County Charter to Increase Number of County Commissioners, All Elected From Single-Member Districts

Shall the Hillsborough County Charter be amended to increase the number of members of board of county commissioners from 7 to 9 members, with an increase to 11 members once the county has a population of at least 2,500,000, require all county commissioners to be elected to office from single-member districts by electors residing in each of those districts only?

• Yes
• No

No. 3 - One-Half Cent Sales Surtax for Public School Air Conditioning and Capital Improvements

Shall a one-half cent school capital outlay sales surtax be continued for a ten (10) year levy by the School Board of Hillsborough County beginning January 1, 2029, to fund air conditioning replacement and repairs, capital improvements and construction of other schools, building enhancements for school security and other maintenance needs?

• Yes
• No

Referendum to Increase the Special Assessment of Country Run Special District from $50 to $75

In order to continue existing and future maintenance needs, shall the Board of Trustees of Country Run Special Tax District increase the future assessed tax from $50 to $75 and authorize at their discretion to increase the tax by $25 per year in subsequent years, not to exceed $200?

• Yes
• No