Florida midterm turnout hits second-highest mark in 30 years
A property tax measure approved by nearly 62% of voters drove participation, with 8.3 million residents casting ballots.
By Oliver Bennett ·
Florida midterm elections have historically struggled to engage voters, but the 2026 cycle bucked that trend with a participation rate that ranked second only to the 2018 contest.
The state recorded a 60.9% voter turnout, according to data released by the Florida Secretary of State. This figure places the election roughly seven percentage points above the 2022 midterm and two points below the 2018 election when Ron DeSantis was first elected governor.
More than 8.3 million Floridians cast ballots in the election. The surge in participation was largely attributed to Amendment 3, a property tax measure that placed a $200,000 increase in the non-school homestead exemption on the ballot. The amendment raised the exemption from $50,000 to $250,000 over a two-year period.
Nearly 62% of voters approved Amendment 3, with more than 7.9 million people weighing in on the measure. Two other proposed constitutional amendments were rejected, each receiving approximately 100,000 fewer votes than the tax exemption proposal. Governor DeSantis suggested that the tax measure was the primary driver of turnout, stating that many voters supported the amendment and then voted for Republican candidates in other races.
Turnout was strong across the entire state, with all 67 counties recording participation rates above 50%. Sumter County, home to The Villages, posted the highest turnout at 73.6%, while Jefferson County was the only other county to exceed 70% at 70.1%. Among the state's largest population centers, Palm Beach County led with 64.9% turnout, followed by Hillsborough at 63.2% and Miami-Dade at 60.5%. Santa Rosa County had the lowest participation rate in the state at 51.9%.
About two-thirds of all ballots were cast before Election Day, either through mail voting or at early voting locations. Cord Byrd, the Florida Secretary of State, said the results showed strong interest in the election. "The turnout results, the percentage of turnout and the enthusiasm of people wanting to vote just proves that we are doing the right thing," Byrd said.
Machine recounts have been requested in two close races: a legislative seat on the Space Coast and a congressional race in South Florida. The state Elections Canvassing Commission is scheduled to confirm the unofficial results at its meeting on Nov. 17.
