Arcadia, Florida Public Records

Arcadia's law enforcement services are provided by the Arcadia Police Department and the De Soto County Sheriff's Office. Residents can access information on crime statistics, incident reports, and other law enforcement-related data through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's website at https://www.fdle.fl.gov/Criminal-History-Records/Obtaining-Criminal-History-Information.aspx. The Center for Missing & Exploited Children also offers resources for Arcadia residents at https://api.missingkids.org/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=usMapSearch&missState=FL.

Arcadia voters are served by the De Soto County Supervisor of Elections, located at 201 East Oak Street, Suite 102, Arcadia, FL 34266 (phone: 863-993-4871, website: www.desotovotes.com). This office manages all aspects of voter registration, candidate qualifying, ballot preparation, early voting, election day operations, and results certification for all federal, state, county, and municipal elections in De Soto County. Florida residents can register to vote online through the Florida Division of Elections at registertovoteflorida.gov, which requires a Florida driver's license or ID card. Voter registration applications must be received or postmarked at least 29 days before an election. Voters must be U.S. citizens, Florida residents, and at least 18 years old by election day. The City of Arcadia holds municipal elections for mayor and city council members; the mayor serves a two-year term while council members serve three-year staggered terms. Municipal elections are typically held in April during even-numbered years, with the next Arcadia municipal elections scheduled for 2026. Candidate qualifying information and local ballot measures are posted on the city's website at www.arcadiafl.org and through the Supervisor of Elections office. Arcadia voters find their assigned polling places through the Supervisor of Elections website's polling place lookup tool (entering name and date of birth or address), by calling the elections office, or through the state portal at www.voterfocus.com. De Soto County operates multiple precincts with voting locations at community centers, fire stations, and public buildings. Florida's public records law makes extensive election records publicly accessible, including voter registration lists (though with some personal information redacted under § 97.0585), campaign finance reports for candidates and political committees searchable through the Florida Division of Elections, candidate qualifying documents, precinct-level election results, and ballot images (subject to certain restrictions). In the November 2024 presidential election, De Soto County reported approximately 65% voter turnout with roughly 15,000 ballots cast from approximately 23,000 registered voters, reflecting typical turnout patterns for the heavily Republican-leaning rural county. Looking ahead to the November 3, 2026 general election, De Soto County and Arcadia voters will decide several important races: the Florida gubernatorial election (as Governor Ron DeSantis is term-limited), one U.S. Senate seat (with Republican Senator Marco Rubio's seat up for election), U.S. House of Representatives for Florida's 17th Congressional District (which includes De Soto County), Florida State Senate District 27, Florida House of Representatives District 76, De Soto County Commission seats, De Soto County School Board positions, De Soto County Sheriff, and various county constitutional officers including Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, Supervisor of Elections, and Clerk of Court, plus the Arcadia municipal elections for mayor and city council if held concurrently. Florida offers no-excuse mail-in voting (absentee ballots); registered voters can request a vote-by-mail ballot through the Supervisor of Elections office online, by phone, by mail, or in person. Mail ballot requests are valid through the end of the calendar year of the second subsequent general election, after which a new request must be submitted. Early voting is available at designated locations (typically including the Supervisor of Elections office) for at least 10 days before an election, with specific dates and hours set by the Supervisor and published on the elections website. Sample ballots are mailed to all registered voters before each election and are available on the Supervisor of Elections website.