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UpdateFloridaWednesday, November 4, 2026

Republican Byron Donalds projected to win Florida governor race

By the Democracy SENTRY deskPublished

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“Recount: How close does a Florida election have to be to trigger one? And when does it go from machines to a hand recount? Here’s what you need to know. #midterms #elections #vote #politics”, Wednesday, November 4, 2026
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What happened

Republican Rep. Byron Donalds is projected to become Florida's first Black governor after defeating Democratic candidate David Jolly in Tuesday's midterm election. Donalds entered the 2026 race in February to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is ineligible for another term after eight years. Donalds ran with President Donald Trump's endorsement.1

What it means in Florida

What happens next in Florida

County canvassing boards must file official returns by noon on the 13th day after the election, November 16.2 The Elections Canvassing Commission meets at 8 a.m. on November 17, 2026, the 14th day after the election, to certify the results.3 The Elections Canvassing Commission is made up of the Governor and two Cabinet members the Governor selects.4

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

More on this story
Florida · Nov 4
WUFT launched live blog for Florida's November 2, 2026 election
Reporting by WUFT
Florida · Nov 4
Broward County posted unofficial results for Districts 24 and 25
Reporting by Broward County Supervisor of Elections
The answers behind this
How votes are counted and made officialVoting in Florida, 2026Who certifies the election in Florida, and by when?Is a recount automatic in a close race?

Explore this issue

OverviewUpdates In depthLucas County, Ohio posted no results on election night, then all at once In depthLucas County was last Ohio county to report 2026 results In depthLucas County, Ohio, blamed new state rules for delayed results In depthDemocrat Sarah Trone Garriott flipped Iowa's 3rd District In depthDemocrat Rebecca Cooke won Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District In depthJuneau County, Wisconsin, updates elections results page In depthRepublican Paul Pate won reelection as Iowa secretary of state In depthSan Patricio County released unofficial results for Nov. 3 election In depthPage County, Iowa released unofficial results for November 3, 2026 election In depthWood County, Wisconsin reported 32,459 ballots cast with one provisional ballot outstanding In depthArizona reports unofficial results for 2026 midterm races In depthVoting delayed in several Michigan counties due to tabulator problems

Sources

  1. Facebook, https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi3wFBVV95cUxQelR0MlZPZTJIdllvS3FoUXFPTWRKYkVOSjFpX2p0T2sxYWkydC1Vb0VzYTBKMW91aWNxREU0bWFMLWZhYldINGswS3otcldsb1B5Z1ZsSFRwNW1aQ0VBR3FYNXo2UXNiQzY0ejF0LU8tVFMtajVEcmZGSVRLbmFoT09rckNFYXNORWZNTDRXQmhjc3dnRk5DZC1xeHNsRTNBTGVJM0Nlb2k0emUxVWwtOEpFV2FUeHctWVllUmVKSTVQUVIwcm4xZG5DX0hibjgyUy1GWUpnbFNGd29ZWEtN?oc=5 · Wednesday, November 4, 2026
  2. NCSL, Canvass Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/canvass-deadlines
  3. NCSL, Election Certification Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/election-certification-deadlines
  4. Bolts, Who counts our elections, https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/who-counts-our-elections/

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