Florida election 2022: how to go vote, what’s on your ballot

If you haven’t voted yet, Tuesday is it.

Election Day will decide Florida’s next governor, its next U.S. senator, more than two dozen congressional races and so much more. Here’s a breakdown of all of the Tampa Bay Times election coverage: How to vote, and what the candidates say they’ll do in office.

Hint: start with our voter guide.

How to vote

Voters planning to vote in person on Election Day must cast their ballot at their designated precinct by 7 p.m. Find your precinct by clicking on your county here. If you vote later in the day and you’re still in line when polls close, you should be allowed to cast your ballot.

If you’re planning to vote by mail, it’s too late to have a ballot delivered to your supervisor of elections via the postal service. However, county elections offices have drop boxes, which are now formally called “secure ballot intake stations,” to which you can deliver your ballot. Just be sure to get it in by 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Any mail ballot received after 7 p.m. on Election Day will not be counted.

Wondering whether your mail-in vote has been counted? Here’s how to know. Need to request a new mail-in ballot? Check out this story. And here’s everything else to know about mailing in a ballot.

Who’s on the ballot?

The Tampa Bay Times is covering dozens of local races, as well as the major statewide contests. In our voter guide, we profiled dozens of local candidates and asked them questions on a variety of topics including health care, the economy, abortion and more.

Governor’s race

We wrote about Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ debate with Democratic nominee Charlie Crist. We dug deep on six key issues, and where the two candidates stand on them. And we wrote about why each of them is going to win.

Florida cabinet races

The races for Florida agriculture commissioner, attorney general and chief financial officer will also be decided this year.

The agriculture commissioner race pits Republican state Sen. Wilton Simpson against Democrat Naomi Blemur.

The attorney general race has incumbent Republican Ashley Moody facing former state attorney Aramis Ayala.

And the chief financial officer campaign pits incumbent Republican Jimmy Patronis against former Democratic state Rep. Adam Hattersley.

Read about what these offices do — and why Democrats are likely outmatched in all three races — here. Check out where the candidates stand on the issues here.

Races for Congress

One of Florida’s two U.S Senate seats and every U.S. House seat is up for election this year.

It’s the first congressional election since the Republican-led Florida Legislature redrew the state’s congressional maps. Congress has immense power to change federal law. If Republicans take control of either or both of the U.S. House or Senate, it will likely thwart major parts of President Joe Biden’s agenda.

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Two of the districts up for grabs in the Tampa Bay region are Congressional District 13, which pits Democrat Eric Lynn against Republican Anna Paulina Luna, and Congressional District 15, in which Republican Laurel Lee is squaring off against Democrat Alan Cohn. (We covered a District 15 debate, too.) For more coverage of your local congressional race, check out our voter guide.

Races for state Legislature

Every state House and state Senate seat was up for election in 2022. Like Congress, the state House and Senate districts got redrawn by the Legislature this year. That means your representative might be about to change. Not to sound like a broken record, but check out our voter guide!

Judges

Five of the seven justices who sit on the Supreme Court are up for judicial retention votes. That means if a majority of voters approve of them, they’ll get to serve another six years. Read this or this to find out more about the Supreme Court judges on the ballot.

There are also several lower court judges on the ballot, including state appeal court judges and local county judges. Appeals court judges typically have the power to set judicial precedent in the state. Local judges hear minor criminal and traffic cases. If you’re voting in Pinellas County, here’s a rundown of all of the judges on your ballot.

Constitutional amendments and local referendums

Finally, voters will decide the fate of a number of state and local policy referendums.

There are three state constitutional amendments before voters this year. Here’s what they would do.

St. Petersburg voters will decide four policy questions, including the timing of future elections and an expansion of the Dalí museum downtown.

Clearwater voters have to answer a major question about the future of its downtown.

Pasco voters will decide whether to fund a one-cent sales tax increase to pay for improvements to schools, roads and environmental preservation.

And Hillsborough County voters will choose the fate of a sales tax that will go toward transportation improvements.