Sarah Merly
Key Points
- Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election starts Oct. 19 at 27 Orange County locations, including two in Apopka, running daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Nov. 1.
- Voters can request a vote-by-mail ballot until 5 p.m. on Oct. 22 and must present valid photo and signature ID when voting in person.
- Orange County ballots include races for governor, U.S. Senate, mayor, and local offices, plus three state constitutional amendments and a school property tax referendum.
Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election will begin Monday, Oct. 19, at 27 locations throughout Orange County, including two in Apopka, as election officials expand voting access and staffing to accommodate voters.
Early voting will run daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Sunday, Nov. 1, according to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections website. Registered Orange County voters may cast their ballots at any of the county’s designated early voting locations.
Apopka’s two early voting locations are the Apopka Community Center at 519 S. Central Ave. and the John H. Bridges Community Center at 445 W. 13th St. The John H. Bridges Community Center is a new early voting location for this election.
“Apopka and West Orange County have grown tremendously, and we want to make sure our voting options keep pace with that growth,” Blake Summerlin, public information officer for the Orange County Supervisor of Elections, said in a Tuesday email to The Apopka Chief. “Adding the John H. Bridges Community Center was a natural fit for our office and gives voters in the area another convenient place to cast their ballot.”
The elections office added seven early voting locations this year, bringing the countywide total to 27, and increased staffing to help serve voters and keep lines moving, Summerlin said.
“We know that people have busy schedules, and we want to make voting as convenient as possible,” Summerlin said. “Voters can also check live wait times on our website to see which locations may be less busy before they head out.”
All 27 early voting locations will accept vote-by-mail ballots at secure ballot intake stations. Seven locations, including West Oaks Library in Ocoee, will also offer drive-through ballot drop-off services.
The Oct. 5 voter registration deadline has passed. Voters have until 5 p.m. Oct. 22 to request that a vote-by-mail ballot be mailed to them, according to the Supervisor of Elections website.
Voters who have received vote-by-mail ballots may return them at any early voting location or at either of the Supervisor of Elections offices: Election Headquarters, 119 W. Kaley St. in Orlando, or the West Orange Satellite Office, 9401 W. Colonial Drive, suite 360A, in Ocoee.
Vote-by-mail ballots cannot be dropped off at Election Day polling places, but they may be returned to one of the two elections offices from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 3. All completed vote-by-mail ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Summerlin said.
Voter turnout in Orange County was 47% in the 2022 general election, compared with 73.3% in the 2024 presidential election, according to Summerlin. He said the county is currently on pace with 2022, although he did not specify which voting activity formed the basis for that comparison.
Apopka Involved Voters held candidate forums for the Orange County mayoral and County Commission District 2 races Sept. 21 and 22, respectively, at Victory Church on South Park Avenue in Apopka. The forums preceded the Sept. 25 mailing of domestic vote-by-mail ballots.
Orange County voters will decide races for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives and Orange County mayor, along with County Commission District 2, Florida House District 39 and other state and local offices, depending on their districts.
The ballot also includes three proposed state constitutional amendments concerning the state’s budget stabilization fund, property-tax exemptions for qualifying agricultural equipment and other tangible personal property, and changes to homestead exemptions and non-homestead property assessments, as well as a referendum on renewing a property tax for Orange County Public Schools.
Mike Crabb currently holds the District 2 commission seat following his appointment by Gov. Ron DeSantis in July while campaigning for the office. Crabb faces former state Rep. Kamia Brown in the general election.
Voters must present valid photo and signature identification when casting their ballots in person, according to the Supervisor of Elections office. Voters whose photo ID lacks a signature may show a second ID with a signature. Voters without acceptable ID may vote a provisional ballot.
On Wednesday, the Orange County Supervisor of Elections announced three Election Day polling-place changes for the Nov. 3 general election. Precinct 109 voters will now cast ballots at Windermere Seventh Day Adventist Church, 4100 McKinnon Road in Windermere, instead of Lake Whitney Elementary School in Winter Garden. The change is permanent. Temporary polling-place changes also affect precincts 726 and 729 in Orlando. Precinct 726 voters will vote at Church in the Son, 4484 N. John Young Parkway in Orlando. Precinct 729 voters will vote at Church on the Drive, 1914 Edgewater Drive in Orlando.
On Nov. 3, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and voters must cast their ballots at their assigned precincts, unlike during early voting.
Voters can find the complete list of early voting locations, check live wait times, view their sample ballots and confirm their assigned Election Day polling places at VoteOrangeFL.gov.
Editor’s note: This story was updated Oct. 14 to include additional information from the Orange County Supervisor of Elections office.