Escambia County Early Voting Underway — Superintendent Referendum, School Board Races and Mayor's Race All on the Ballot

Pensacola, FL (NewsRadio 92.3) -- Early voting is open right now in Escambia County for the August 18th primary election — and Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender says there is something on the ballot for every registered voter regardless of party affiliation.

Early Voting Details

Ten locations are open through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Unlike election day voters can go to any early voting location — they do not need to go to their home precinct. Locations include Century Courthouse, Molino Community Center, the extension office on Stefani Road, Bellevue Lodge, Bellevue Library, UWF, Asbury Place near Ninth Avenue and College Boulevard, the downtown main library, the SOE office downtown, Brownsville Community Center, and the Southwest Library. Bender says 27 people voted in the first twelve minutes this morning and there are currently no lines at any location.

What's on the Ballot

Every Escambia County voter will see a countywide referendum on whether to make the school superintendent position appointed rather than elected — a significant policy question that has drawn considerable community attention. Three nonpartisan school board races for Districts 1, 2, and 3 are also on the ballot — with only two candidates in each race meaning the winner will be decided outright on August 18th without a November runoff.

The mayor's race features six candidates. Bender noted that four years ago Mayor Reeves received more than 50 percent of the vote in the August election and was elected outright without going to November. If any candidate clears 50 percent on August 18th there will be no November mayoral election.

Partisan races on the ballot include U.S. Senate, governor and lieutenant governor, CFO, and commissioner of agriculture — races that both Republicans and Democrats will see. Republicans also have a congressional race to replace termed-out Representative Alex Andrade and a county commission District 2 race. Bender says some ballots ran to a third column given the volume of races.

Governor and Lieutenant Governor — Only Pick One

Bender flagged an important note for voters on the governor and lieutenant governor race. The ballot lists it as a single contest, but most candidates have not yet selected a running mate — meaning only one name appears under each gubernatorial candidate. Voters should only select one candidate. On the Democratic side David Jolly is listed as lieutenant governor under Gwen Graham — voters should not be confused by seeing Gwen Graham's name without an oval next to it. If a voter accidentally selects two candidates in that contest the machine will flag it and give them an opportunity to fix it before the ballot is cast.

Mail-In Ballot Logistics

Voters who have a mail-in ballot but have not yet returned it can drop it at any early voting location during open hours using the secure ballot intake station. On election day the only drop-off location is the SOE office downtown — precincts do not accept mail-in ballot drop-offs on election day. A voter who shows up at their precinct on election day with a mail-in ballot can surrender it and vote in person instead. All mail-in ballots must be in Bender's possession by 7 p.m. on election night to be counted. Voters can now track their ballot through the USPS system — and can check their ballot status at escambiavotes.gov under the voters tab.

Citizenship and Name Questions

Bender addressed social media concerns about married name mismatches and citizenship verification at the polls. He says voters should not be concerned — photo ID matching the name on the voter record is all that is required for 2026. Citizenship verification requirements for new voters do not take effect until 2027. Existing voters whose citizenship was verified when they registered remain on the rolls without any additional documentation needed.

New I Voted Sticker

This year's I Voted sticker features a commemorative America 250 design — a tall ship representing 1776 and an American Magic-style sailing vessel representing 2026 with fireworks faded in the background. The sticker is slightly larger than previous years. Mail-in ballot packets also include the sticker along with a yellow-highlighted signature area on the return envelope designed to reduce signature errors and help postal workers identify ballots quickly.

Election day is August 18th from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. — voters must go to their home precinct. Questions can be directed to the Supervisor of Elections office at 850-595-3900 or escambiavotes.gov.