Early voting for the Aug. 18 primary runs Friday, Aug. 7, through Sunday, Aug. 16, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Beaches residents won't have to cross the Intracoastal: two of Duval County's 24 sites sit east of the ditch. Any registered Duval County voter can use any site, regardless of address. Picture and signature ID are required, and every site has a secure intake station for returning mail ballots.
Where to vote near the Beaches
The closest sites are the Beaches Branch Library, 600 Third St., Neptune Beach, and the Jacksonville Beach Community Center & Exhibit Hall, 2508 S. Beach Parkway. The nearest mainland option is the Pablo Creek Regional Library, 13295 Beach Blvd. Southside Community Center, 10080 Beach Blvd., and Southeast Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd., are next closest for anyone commuting west during the week.
Voting by mail
Florida law voids standing mail-ballot requests at the end of each general election year, so most past mail voters must request a new ballot for 2026. Requests can be made at duvalelections.gov, by phone at 904-255-VOTE (8683), or by signed form, using a driver's license number, Florida ID number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number. The office cannot forward ballots, so a different mailing address requires a signed written request rather than a call. Requests are due by 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6; after that, ballots can still be picked up in person.
"Voting should fit into people's lives," Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland said in announcing the office's mail-voting information campaign this cycle.
Completed ballots can be returned by mail, at a secure intake station inside any early voting site through Aug. 16, or at the elections office, 105 E. Monroe St., through 7 p.m. on Election Day. There are no drop boxes at precincts on Aug. 18. Whatever the method, ballots must reach the elections office by 7 p.m. Election Day; a postmark does not count.
Signatures matter too. If the one on a mail ballot's voter certificate is missing or doesn't match the file, the voter must submit a cure affidavit and copy of ID by 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, two days after the election. Voters can update their signature on file anytime.
Duval also offers an accessible online ballot for voters with disabilities, delivered by email with a high-contrast option to mark on screen, then print and return by mail with the voter's own envelope and postage.
Holland's office sent sample ballots to 619,429 registered voters this week, 516,908 by mail and 102,521 by email. Anyone who hasn't received one should call the elections office.
Everyone votes in three of these races
Florida runs a closed primary, so only Republicans and Democrats see their own party's candidates. But three races are open to every registered voter.
The first is a special election for Jacksonville City Council At-Large Group 1, called in May by the council and Mayor Donna Deegan after Terrance Freeman resigned to run for the Florida House.
Three candidates qualified:
- Democrat Moné Holder, a Florida Rising advocacy officer and Jacksonville Planning Commission member
- Libertarian Addison "Liberty" Patrick; and
- Republican Deborah Wesley, a retired Jacksonville Sheriff's Office commander. Without a majority Aug. 18, the top two advance to a special general election Nov. 3.
Beaches voters sometimes are surprised to see city council races on their ballots: Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach kept their own governments after the 1968 consolidation, but residents still vote for Jacksonville's mayor and council.
The second is Duval County School Board District 2, the open Beaches seat, where three candidates are running to replace Vice Chair April Carney:
- Donovan Bradley
- Terence Lavele Myers
- Donna Mae Westrich
The nonpartisan race is decided outright with more than 50% Aug. 18; otherwise the top two head to November.
The third is county court judge. Group 1 candidates are:
- Matt Lufrano
- Latoya Williams Shelton
and Group 13 candidates are:
- Melina Buncome
- Marquita H. Green
- Octavius A. Holliday Jr.
Both are countywide, nonpartisan races under the same majority rule.
The partisan ballots
The Beaches sit in Florida's 5th Congressional District, where the Republican incumbent faces a primary challenger:
- John Rutherford (incumbent)
- Mark Kaye
The winner of the Republican Primary will face the winner of the Democratic Primary, a contest between:
- Rachel Grage
- Alex Hazen, and
- Mark Heggestad.
Grage previously ran against state Rep. Kiyan Michael for the Beaches-based House District 16 seat in 2024.
For U.S. Senate, Republicans choose among
- Chris Gleason,
- Ashley Moody (incumbent),
- Neelam Taneja Perry and
- Ernest "Ernie" Rivera;
Democrats choose between:
- Angie Nixon and
- Alex Vindman.
The governor's race has the longest field. There are 11 Republican candidates:
- Jay Collins,
- Byron Donalds,
- James Fishback,
- Jim Holcomb,
- Arthur Joseph McCaffrey,
- Daniel Nokovich,
- Paul Renner,
- Rachel Rodriguez,
- James W. Shaw,
- Caneste Succe and
- Bobby Williams
The six Democratic candidates are:
- Evelyn Castillo-Bach,
- Thomas Eloy Fernandez,
- Dayna Marie Foster,
- David Jolly,
- Dotie Joseph and
- Stephann Norman.
For chief financial officer, Republicans choose between
- Frank William Collige and
- Blaise Ingoglia (incumbent);
Democrats between
- Earle Ford and
- Annette Taddeo.
For commissioner of agriculture, Republicans choose between
- Wilton Simpson (incumbent) and
- Matt Taylor.
Democrats chose between
- Joey Mendoza Atkins and
- Donald A. "Don" Prichard.
What is not on this ballot
There's no state legislative primary; Michael's House District 16 seat drew no primary challenger. Atlantic Beach's municipal races wait for November. Jacksonville Beach City Council races drew no opposition, and in Neptune Beach, the lone contested seat's challenger withdrew. The school district's 1-mill property tax renewal also goes to November voters.
Election Day is Tuesday, Aug. 18, polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters can confirm registration, party, mail-ballot status and precinct at duvalelections.gov or by calling 904-255-VOTE.
