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Pasco County Launches Mass Mailing Of 35,000-Plus Primary Ballots

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. – More than 35,000 Pasco County voters will find their election ballots in the mail next week. Supervisor of Elections Brian E. Corley announced that his office will send out the massive wave of Vote by Mail ballots on Thursday, July 9, 2026, to all residents who already have a request on file for the upcoming August 18 Primary Election. This follows an earlier mailing on July 2, which sent ballots out to uniformed and overseas citizens.

Because Florida operates as a closed primary state under Section 101.021 of the Florida Statutes, voters are limited to choosing candidates within their registered political party. Residents who registered without selecting a party affiliation will only see nonpartisan offices, such as school board members and judges, on their primary ballots.

These party restrictions do not apply to the General Election, where voters can cast their ballots for any candidate regardless of party lines.

Voters have several options for returning their completed ballots, but timing is critical. To be counted, voted ballots must be inside the elections’ office by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, August 18, 2026. The postal service recommends allowing plenty of time for first-class delivery.

United States Postal Service (“USPS”)
United States Postal Service (“USPS”)

Alternatively, voters can hand-deliver their ballots to any of the three Supervisor of Elections offices in Pasco County or drop them off at designated early voting sites. Ballots cannot be accepted at standard polling places on Election Day itself. Detailed office locations and early voting schedules are listed online at PascoVotes.gov.

For residents who have not yet requested a mail-in ballot, the window remains open. Requests can be made by phone, in writing, or via the online form at PascoVotes.gov.

To secure a ballot, voters must provide their date of birth, Pasco County residence address, and one of three identifiers: a Florida driver’s license number, a Florida ID number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number. Written requests must also bear the voter’s physical signature. The hard deadline to request a mailed ballot is 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 6, 2026.

Security and logistics rules apply to all ballot distributions. The postal service cannot forward these ballots, though they can be sent to a temporary address if a voter is currently outside Pasco County. Officials urge voters to double-check their mailing address when placing an order. Furthermore, any request made by phone or in writing must come directly from the voter, a legal guardian, or an immediate family member.

Starting July 9, voters can also choose to pick up their own ballots in person at any of the three county elections’ offices.

However, this “carry out” option ends once early voting kicks off on Saturday, August 8, 2026. If a voter designates someone else to pick up their ballot, that person must bring a written authorization note from the voter, present a valid photo ID, and complete an official affidavit before the ballot can be handed over.

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