BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL — The candidate qualifying period for federal, state, county and special district offices wrapped up at noon Friday, June 12, locking in the field of candidates who will appear on Palm Beach County ballots for the 2026 election cycle. Voters here will head to the polls twice more this year — first for the Primary Election on August 18, then for the General Election on November 3.
“Candidate qualifying marks an important milestone in the election process,” said Wendy Sartory Link, Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, in a statement. “As we prepare for the upcoming elections, we encourage voters to verify their registration information, review upcoming deadlines, and make a plan to vote.” Candidates running for county and special district offices filed their qualifying paperwork directly with Link’s office, which served as the qualifying officer for those races during the June 8-12 window. A list of qualified county candidates is posted at votepalmbeach.gov, while all other qualified candidates statewide can be found through the Florida Division of Elections website.
Two races will be decided as Universal Primary Contests on the August 18 ballot: County Commissioner, District 2, and Port of Palm Beach Commission, Group 4. Under Florida law, when every candidate running for an office shares the same party affiliation and the winner will face no opposition in November, all registered voters can cast a ballot in that race regardless of their own party. Outside of those two contests, Florida remains a closed primary state, meaning voters must be registered with a political party to vote in that party’s primary.
With qualifying now finished, the Supervisor of Elections Office is moving on to printing ballots and voter information materials. Key dates for the Primary include a July 20 deadline to register or change party affiliation, early voting from August 8-16, and an August 6 deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot. For the General Election, voters must register by October 5, with early voting running October 19 through November 1 and a vote-by-mail request deadline of October 22.
Mail ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. on each election day to the Main Office, or by 5 p.m. to a branch office or secure drop box. Voters can check their registration status and find more details at VotePalmBeach.gov.
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