---
title: "Orlando Voters Head to Polls With Orange County Mayor Runoff"
url: https://www.hereorlando.com/2026/11/03/orange-county-election-day-mayor-runoff-polls-open/
date: 2026-11-03T08:28:04-05:00
modified: 2026-11-03T08:28:04-05:00
author: "Courtney E. Aguirre"
categories: ["Politics"]
site: "HERE Orlando"
attribution: "HERE Orlando"
---

# Orlando Voters Head to Polls With Orange County Mayor Runoff

> ORLANDO, Fla. — Voters in Orlando and the rest of Orange County who have not cast a ballot yet get their final chance today, with polls open from 7 in the morning until 7 at night and a new county mayor among the races to be settled. Turnout before Election Day was already heavy. By

*Source: [HERE Orlando](https://www.hereorlando.com/2026/11/03/orange-county-election-day-mayor-runoff-polls-open/) — November 3, 2026 by Courtney E. Aguirre*

ORLANDO, Fla. — Voters in Orlando and the rest of Orange County who have not cast a ballot yet get their final chance today, with polls open from 7 in the morning until 7 at night and a new county mayor among the races to be settled.

Turnout before Election Day was already heavy. By the time early voting closed Sunday evening, 324,422 Orange County voters had voted early or by mail, or 39.54% of the 820,504 eligible voters, county elections figures show. Democrats cast 157,399 of those ballots and Republicans 86,229. In the 2022 midterm, final turnout in the county, Election Day included, was a bit under 47%.

The mayor’s seat is open because Jerry Demings is term-limited. Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore Russell faces medical device company CEO Chris Messina in a runoff. The race is nonpartisan on paper, though Moore Russell is a registered Democrat and Messina, a first-time candidate, is a registered Republican.

Four County Commission seats are on the ballot as well, two of them new seats created after voters agreed in 2024 to enlarge the commission as the county grew. At the top of the ticket, Floridians are choosing a successor to term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis and deciding a U.S. Senate special election.

Supervisor of Elections Karen Castor Dentel said her office has planned for trouble such as a power outage at a precinct, with backup generators ready, and can send extra voting booths where lines run long. Voters can look up their assigned precinct and sample ballot on the supervisor’s website. Results will begin posting after polls close tonight.