Your 2026 Voter Guide: What Is on the Ballot and Where to Start

A nonpartisan snapshot of the elections, offices, and questions facing East Orlando voters this year.

Election season has arrived in East Orlando, and this year the ballot is a full one. Between now and November, our community will help choose everyone from the next Orange County Mayor to the people who sit on the School Board, and will also weigh in on three proposed changes to the Florida Constitution, including one that could change what homeowners pay in property taxes.

There is a great deal to keep track of, so the Avalon Park Sun has pulled together a simple, nonpartisan guide: what you will be voting on, the dates that matter, where to vote, and where to research the choices for yourself.

A historic year for Orange County

It is not an exaggeration to say that 2026 is one of the most consequential election years Orange County has seen in decades. What makes it unusual is not just the number of offices on the ballot, but the number of seats with no incumbent running. Voters are not being asked to renew familiar leadership. They are being asked to choose it.

A new county mayor. Mayor Jerry Demings is term-limited after eight years and cannot seek a third term. Whoever wins will become only the sixth person to lead Orange County government since voters created the countywide executive office in 1990. Four candidates qualified for the race.

A wave of open seats. Alongside the mayor’s office, the ballot includes five of the eight county commission districts, an open Clerk of Courts seat filled through a special election, the Orange County School Board Chair, three School Board district seats, three Soil and Water Conservation District seats, and six judgeships. Several of those races have no incumbent at all. District 4, the county commission district that includes Avalon Park, is one of them, because Commissioner Maribel Gomez Cordero is term-limited.

Turnover at the School Board. Chair Teresa Jacobs is not seeking re-election, and the two sitting board members running to replace her represent Districts 1 and 3, which means those district seats are open as well. School Board District 1 includes Avalon Park.

Change at the federal level, too. One of Florida’s two United States Senate seats is on the ballot in a special election, and a neighboring congressional seat is open following a retirement announcement. Statewide, the governor’s office and most Cabinet offices are also up.

A remarkable amount of leadership is turning over at once, and East Orlando residents have a rare opportunity to help decide who steps in.

Two elections, two dates to circle

Florida holds its elections in two rounds, and both land this year:

• Primary Election — Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. This narrows the field in partisan races and decides many local ones outright.
• General Election — Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The final decision, and the day every registered voter casts a full ballot.

A note on party rules. Florida is a closed-primary state, so voting in a party’s primary for partisan offices such as Governor, Congress, or the Legislature requires being registered with that party. Nonpartisan races, including judicial contests, School Board seats, and Orange County offices, are open to every registered voter in August. Ballot questions are open to everyone as well. In November, everyone votes the full ballot.

If you are already registered, you are set for the August primary. If you are not registered yet, or you have moved, or you would like to update your information before November, the next deadline is Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. You may register or update your record at voteorangefl.gov/update-your-registration.

Mark your calendar

Dates and hours are set by the Orange County Supervisor of Elections and are current as of publication. Confirm before you go.

Where to vote

This is the question the Sun hears most often, and happily it is the easiest one to answer. Orange County offers three ways to cast a ballot, and each has its own location rules.

1. On Election Day, go to your assigned polling place

On Aug. 18 and again on Nov. 3, you must vote at the specific polling place assigned to your address. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Locations do change from election to election, so please look yours up rather than assuming it is the same as last time. Find it here: voteorangefl.gov/find-your-polling-place.

The same lookup, plus your districts, your sample ballot, and your mail ballot status, is available through Check Your Voter Information at voteorangefl.gov/check-your-status.

2. During early voting, go to any site in the county

Early voting is the flexible option. There are 27 early voting locations countywide, and any registered Orange County voter may use any one of them, no matter which precinct they live in. Early voting for the primary runs Monday, Aug. 3 through Sunday, Aug. 16, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. For the general election, it runs Monday, Oct. 19 through Sunday, Nov. 1, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Early voting sites closest to East Orlando include:

• Alafaya Branch Library — 12000 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32826
• Chickasaw Branch Library — 870 N. Chickasaw Trail, Orlando, FL 32825
• Renaissance Senior Center — 3800 S. Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando, FL 32829
• UCF Puerto Rico Research Hub at the Barbara Ying Center — 12815 Scholarship Drive, Orlando, FL 32816 (new this year)
• Bithlo Community Center — 18501 Washington Ave., Orlando, FL 32820 (new this year)

The full list, along with a map, is at voteorangefl.gov/vote-early.

3. By mail, from your kitchen table

Request a vote-by-mail ballot at voteorangefl.gov/request-a-mail-ballot. Requests do not carry over indefinitely, so it is worth confirming that yours is on file. Completed ballots must be received by the Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m. on Election Day, and a postmark does not count. You may also drop your ballot at a secure ballot intake station at any early voting site during early voting hours. Alafaya Branch Library and the UCF Puerto Rico Research Hub both offer drive-through drop-off. Track your ballot from mailing to counting at voteorangefl.gov/track-your-mail-ballot.

What to bring

Voting in person requires a valid, non-expired photo identification that also shows your signature. A Florida driver license, a Florida identification card, or a United States passport are the most common. If your photo identification does not include a signature, bring a second document that does. Spanish-language assistance and accessible voting equipment are available at every location, and any voter who needs help reading or marking a ballot may bring someone along or ask a poll worker.

What is on your ballot

Your exact ballot depends on where you live, but here is the broad picture for Orange County voters this year.

Federal and state offices

• United States Senate — one Florida seat, filled through a special election.
• United States House of Representatives — every Florida seat is on the ballot.
• Governor — an open seat, along with most statewide Cabinet offices such as Attorney General.
• Florida Legislature — state Senate and House seats representing our area.

Local offices, the ones closest to home

• Orange County Mayor — an open seat, with four candidates competing.
• Orange County Commission — three of six district seats, including District 4, which covers Avalon Park.
• Orange County Clerk of Courts — an open seat filled through a special election held alongside the primary.
• Orange County School Board — the countywide Chair seat plus three district seats, including District 1, which covers Avalon Park.
• Judges — three Ninth Circuit Court seats, three Orange County Court seats, and judicial retention questions in November.
• Soil and Water Conservation District Board — three seats.

Three statewide questions

Voters across Florida will also decide three proposed amendments to the state constitution. Each one requires at least 60 percent approval statewide to pass, which is the bar for any Florida constitutional amendment. Here is the plain-English version of each.

Amendment 1: Budget stabilization fund

Would raise the cap on the amount the state may hold in its budget stabilization fund, often called the rainy-day fund, from 10 percent to 25 percent of general revenue collections, and would require the Legislature to make annual transfers into the fund until that cap is reached, with withdrawals allowed for critical state needs.

Amendment 2: Agricultural property

Would exempt farm equipment and other tangible personal property kept on land classified as agricultural, and used for producing agricultural products or for agritourism, from property taxation, beginning with the 2027 tax year.

Amendment 3: Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes

This is the measure generating the most discussion statewide, and it is the one most likely to affect Avalon Park homeowners directly.

• What it would do: Exempt the first $250,000 of a homestead’s assessed value from every property tax levy other than school district taxes. Implementing legislation would phase the increase in, beginning with the first $150,000 in 2027 and rising to $250,000 in 2028, with inflation adjustments after that, and would set a schedule toward eliminating the non-school portion entirely.
• Other provisions: Lower the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead property, such as commercial buildings, apartments, and second homes, from 10 percent to 5 percent; require local governments to spend remaining property tax dollars on core services; and require new residents to hold Florida residency for five years before receiving the larger exemption.
• When it would take effect: January 1, 2027, if approved.

Supporters describe it as meaningful, lasting relief for homeowners who have watched assessments climb. Critics note that property taxes are the primary way communities fund police and fire protection, roads, libraries, and parks, and they raise questions about how that revenue would be replaced. Both cases deserve a fair hearing, and the full official wording will appear on your ballot. The Avalon Park Sun encourages every reader to read it there before deciding.

Ballot numbering and final wording are set by the state and can shift, and local questions may still be added. Your official sample ballot, available at voteorangefl.gov/whats-on-my-ballot, is always the most reliable source.

Know your districts

Have you ever noticed that you vote for several different districts? That is because you are represented at a few levels at once, and the boundaries do not line up with one another. Here is where Avalon Park falls:

• Orange County Commission, District 4. Our district also covers Waterford Lakes, Lake Nona, and Meadow Woods, and the seat is open this year.
• Orange County School Board, District 1. School board districts are drawn separately from county commission districts, so your School Board number will not match your commission number.
• State House, State Senate, and United States House. Some lines have recently been redrawn, so it is worth confirming yours even if you have voted here for years.

Because Orange County recently updated its district and precinct maps, boundaries can split a neighborhood. Confirm your exact districts with Check Your Voter Information, which lists every district you are in and pulls up your personalized ballot.

Where to start your research

You do not have to take anyone’s word for it, including ours. These nonpartisan sources let you look everything up yourself.

• Orange County Supervisor of Elections — the official source for our community. Start at gov, or go straight to What’s On My Ballot, Find Your Polling Place, Vote Early, or the Candidate List. Questions may also be directed to the office at 407-836-2070.
• Florida Division of Elections — statewide dates and the official text of proposed amendments at fl.gov/elections.
• Ballotpedia — enter your address for a sample ballot with background on every race and measure at org.
• League of Women Voters, Vote411 — a nonpartisan, candidate-by-candidate guide at org.
• Local candidate forums — nothing beats hearing candidates in person. Watch the Sun’s event calendar for forums right here in East Orlando.

Your voice, your community

Local elections rarely make national headlines, but they decide the things you feel every day: the roads you drive, the parks where your children play, the schools down the street, and the taxes you pay. That is exactly why they matter, and it is exactly why a year with this many open seats deserves your attention.

However you lean, do the two things that count: make sure you are registered, and make a plan to vote. A few minutes now means your voice is part of the decisions that will shape Avalon Park and East Orlando for years to come.

The Avalon Park Sun provides this guide as a nonpartisan community service. Dates, offices, and ballot details are current as of publication. Always confirm with the Orange County Supervisor of Elections at voteorangefl.gov.