Florida’s use of vote-by-mail ballots is heading into the 2026 primary at a dramatically lower level than four years ago, according to the latest state election data.
Approximately 1.9 million voters requested mail ballots for the August 18 primary, compared with more than 4 million before Florida’s 2022 primaries—a decline of roughly 53%.
The figures come from daily reports submitted by Florida’s 67 county supervisors of elections to the state Division of Elections. The decline is particularly significant in a state where voting by mail has historically accounted for a substantial share of ballots cast.
The numbers measure requests, not completed votes. Some voters who requested ballots will not return them, while others may surrender their mail ballots and vote in person. Final turnout cannot be determined until ballots are returned and accepted and in-person voting concludes.
Requests now expire after each general-election cycle
One major change separates the 2022 and 2026 election cycles.
Before lawmakers enacted Senate Bill 90 in 2021, a Florida voter’s standing request could remain valid across two general-election cycles. The law shortened that period, making a request valid only through the end of the year containing the next regularly scheduled general election.
Consequently, requests covering the 2024 elections expired at the end of that year. Voters wishing to receive mail ballots in 2025 or 2026 had to apply again.
The official legislative record for Senate Bill 90 describes the change as limiting requests to elections occurring through the next regularly scheduled general election. The law also added identification requirements for voters requesting ballots.
Supporters characterized the legislation as an election-security and voter-confidence measure. Critics said the recurring renewal requirement would create an avoidable obstacle for eligible voters accustomed to automatically receiving ballots.
The statewide data demonstrate that requests have fallen steeply since the change, but they do not establish that the law is the sole cause. Political attitudes toward mail voting, differences between election cycles, voter outreach and the number of competitive primaries could also affect the totals.
Partisan behavior has shifted
Mail voting once provided Florida Republicans with a substantial organizational advantage, particularly among older voters. That pattern began changing after President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized mail ballots following the 2020 election.
Sean Freeder, director of the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab, told WLRN and WGCU that both partisan rhetoric and Florida’s tighter rules likely contributed to the decline.
Republican election officials defend the renewal requirement as a safeguard against ballots being mailed based on outdated requests. Voting-rights advocates contend there is little evidence of mail-ballot fraud sufficient to justify the additional step and say it may particularly affect elderly, disabled and less-mobile voters.
A complete analysis should compare the decline by party and county. That would show whether the reduction is concentrated among particular voter groups or reflects a broadly shared movement toward early and Election Day voting.
Request deadline has passed
The deadline to ask a supervisor of elections to mail a ballot for the August primary was 5 p.m. on August 6.
Voters who already possess mail ballots may still return them, but supervisors must receive completed ballots by 7 p.m. on Election Day. A postmark by the deadline is not sufficient for most Florida voters.
The Division of Elections provides current instructions and deadlines. Voters can also check the status of a requested or returned ballot through their county supervisor’s website.
The next important figures will be the number of mail ballots returned and accepted. Those totals—not requests alone—will show how much Florida’s voting behavior has changed and whether increased early or Election Day turnout offsets the steep decline in mail-ballot demand.
Related Coverage
- Key deadlines, early voting and vote-by-mail information for Florida voters.
- What voters needed to know about Florida’s mail-ballot request deadline.
- Florida’s primary calendar and major political developments heading into Election Day.
- The Florida Pundit’s complete 2026 election coverage and voter guide.
