Florida civic guide
The laws and deadlines that matter when you want to change something in Florida: how to get public records, how public meetings work, and how to vote.
Your 2026 election
General election: Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
- Register by
- Online Oct 5 · Mail postmarked Oct 5 · In person Oct 5
- Same-day registration
- No
- Early voting
- Oct 24 – Oct 31 required; some counties Oct 19 – Nov 1
- Statewide ballot measures
- 3 on the ballot
- Raise the rainy-day budget fund cap from 10% to 25% of revenue
- Exempt farm equipment from property taxes
- Raise the homestead exemption and lower caps on non-homestead assessments
Titles as listed by official sources. Read the full text and the official summary before you vote.
Public records
Anyone can ask a government agency for copies of its records. You usually don't have to say why.
- Law
- Florida Public Records Act
- Citation
- Fla. Stat. ch. 119 (§§ 119.01-119.19)
- First response deadline
- No fixed deadline; only a reasonable time to find records and remove exempt parts (no automatic delay)
Open meetings
Most government boards must meet in public and post notice ahead of time.
- Law
- Florida Government-in-the-Sunshine Law
- Citation
- Fla. Stat. § 286.011
Recording conversations
All-party consent where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy; not needed for public speech or public meetings
This is about recording conversations. Recording officials in public is a separate question that courts decide case by case.
More to know
- Pre-registration age (sign up before 18)
- Age 16
- Ballot initiatives
- Partly. Citizens can petition for constitutional amendments, not ordinary laws.
What's bugging you in Florida?
Pick an issue and we'll show you who handles it and help you write to them.
Start on Civic Ladder →Learn the skillsSources
- https://www.rcfp.org/open-government-guide/florida/
- https://www.myfloridalegal.com/node/3383
- https://www.rcfp.org/reporters-recording-guide/florida/
- https://ballotpedia.org/States_with_initiative_or_referendum
- https://www.usvotefoundation.org/vote/us/state-voting-information/FL
- https://ruvoting.rutgers.edu/states/florida/
General civic information, not legal advice. Laws and deadlines change; confirm with the official office. Election details as researched 2026-10-17.