| General Election All States |
| | • 1st Tuesday after 1st Monday in November of even-numbered years.
(FL Statutes 100.031... in conformity with FL Constitution Article VI, Section 5) |
| Presidential Primary All States |
| | • (--2007) 2nd Tuesday in March in each year which is a multiple of 4
(FL Statutes 103.101) |
| | • (2008-2011) Last Tuesday in January in each year which is a multiple of 4
(FL Statutes 103.101) |
| | • (2011--) There shall be a Presidential Preference Primary Date Selection Committee composed of the Secretary of State, who shall be a nonvoting chair; three members, no more than two of whom may be from the same political party, appointed by the Governor; three members, no more than two of whom may be from the same political party, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and three members, no more than two of whom may be from the same political party, appointed by the President of the Senate. No later than October 1 of the year preceding the presidential preference primary, the committee shall meet and set a date for the presidential preference primary. The date selected may be no earlier than the first Tuesday in January and no later than the first Tuesday in March in the year of the presidential preference primary. [FL Statutes 103.101] |
| State Primary All States |
| | • (--2006) the Tuesday exactly 9 weeks before the General Election
(FL Statutes 100.061)
NOTE: Through the 2000 Elections, FLORIDA scheduled a potential "Second Primary" (that is, a runoff in all cases where no candidate achieved a majority of the vote in the Primary scheduled as above)- authorized by FL Statutes 100.091- for four weeks after the Primary (that is, 5 weeks before the General Election). In 2001, however, temporary uncodified legislation did away with this "Second Primary" for the 2002 Elections only while subsequent legislation, adopted in 2004, did away with Section 100.091 altogether. Thus, Florida no longer has a "second ballot" or runoff Primary system and has joined the majority of the States of the Union in making their Primary "first past the post" (that is, nomination by simple plurality). |
| | • (2007-2011) In each year in which a general election is held, a primary election for nomination of candidates of political parties shall be held on the Tuesday 10 weeks prior to the general election. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes cast in each contest in the primary election shall be declared nominated for such office. [FL Statutes 100.061] |
| | • (2011--) In each year in which a general election is held, a primary election for nomination of candidates of political parties shall be held on the Tuesday 12 weeks prior to the general election. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes ... shall be declared nominated.... If two or more candidates receive an equal and highest number of votes ..., such candidates shall draw lots to determine which candidate is nominated. [FL Statutes 100.061] |
| Polling times All States |
| | • Polls open: 7 AM local time
Polls close: 7 PM local time
The polls shall be open at the voting places at 7:00 a.m., on the day of the election, and shall be kept open until 7:00 p.m. ... [Florida Statutes 100.011]
[NOTE: 10 counties in the western section of the so-called "Panhandle" are in the CENTRAL TIME ZONE-- the polls in these counties, therefore, open and close one hour relative to Universal Time (GMT) later than the polls in the other 57 counties of the State, which are in the EASTERN TIME ZONE] |
