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Democracy SENTRY
UpdateFloridaMonday, November 2, 2026

Florida puts the governor's party first on the ballot

What Florida law says about the order candidates appear on the ballot, and what happened when it was challenged.

Reporting by
WUSF
“Why are Republicans listed first on Florida's ballots?”, Monday, November 2, 2026
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What happened

Florida law gives the top ballot position to candidates from the party that won the most recent governor's race. Republicans appear first on 2026 general election ballots. In 2018, national Democratic organizations and state voters filed a constitutional challenge arguing the rule creates an unfair electoral advantage.1

Key dates in Florida

Election Day in -6 days
  1. Mon, Oct 5 · passed
    Registration deadline
  2. Thu, Oct 22 · passed
    Last day for mail ballot applications
  3. Sat, Oct 24 · passed
    Early voting begins
  4. Sat, Oct 31 · passed
    Early voting ends
  5. Tue, Nov 3 · passed
    Election Day; Mail ballots must arrive
  6. Tue, Nov 17 · 8 days
    State certification

Every date in Florida, and who certifies the election

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The answers behind this

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