Port Charlotte, Florida Public Records

Since the community is unincorporated, there are no municipal elections for mayor or city council. Instead, residents vote in Charlotte County Commission races with five district seats, constitutional officer elections including Sheriff, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, Clerk of Court, and Supervisor of Elections, along with school board races, state legislative seats, and federal offices. Florida residents can register to vote online at https://registertovoteflorida.gov, by mail using a voter registration application available from the Supervisor of Elections office or downloadable from the website, or in person at the elections office, county libraries, tax collector offices, or driver license offices. Voter registration deadlines fall 29 days before any election. Florida requires voters to provide a Florida driver license number or Florida identification card number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number. Voters must be U.S. Citizens, Florida residents, at least 18 years old by Election Day, and not currently adjudicated mentally incapacitated or convicted of a felony without having had civil rights restored. Residents can find their assigned polling place by visiting the Supervisor of Elections website at www.charlottevotes.com and using the "Find My Polling Place" tool, which requires entering name and date of birth or street address. Voters can also call (941) 743-1460 for polling location information. Sample ballots showing all races and measures for a specific address are available on the website approximately 45 days before each election. Florida has extensive public records accessibility for election information under Chapter 119 Florida Statutes and Chapter 97 Florida Statutes governing elections. Voter registration lists are public record with some personal information like Social Security numbers and signatures exempt, available for purchase for political purposes. Campaign finance reports for candidates and political committees are searchable through the Florida Division of Elections website at https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/candidates-committees/campaign-finance/ and through Charlotte County records for local races. Candidate qualifying information, ballot language, precinct-level election results, early voting statistics, and vote-by-mail data are all publicly accessible through the Supervisor of Elections office and website. While 2026 is not a presidential election year, Florida voters will elect a Governor (Rick Scott term-limited if he does not run, so likely an open race), all Florida Cabinet positions including Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, and Commissioner of Agriculture, the entire Florida House of Representatives, and half of the Florida Senate. The community is located in Florida House District 76 and Florida Senate District 28. Florida offers vote-by-mail (absentee) ballots available to any registered voter without requiring an excuse. Voters can request a vote-by-mail ballot online through the Supervisor of Elections website, by phone at (941) 743-1460, by written request, or in person. Vote-by-mail ballot requests are valid for two general election cycles and then must be renewed. Ballots are mailed approximately 40 days before each election and must be returned by 7:00 PM on Election Day either by mail (postmark does not count, must be received by 7 PM), by dropping in a secure ballot drop box with locations listed on the elections website, or by delivering to the Supervisor of Elections office or any early voting site during operating hours. Florida law requires signature matching on vote-by-mail ballot certificates; voters whose signatures do not match registration records are contacted to cure the signature deficiency. Early voting for all elections is available at multiple locations throughout Charlotte County typically beginning 10 days before Election Day and running through the Sunday before the election, with hours generally 10 AM to 6 PM daily, with specific dates and times set by the Supervisor of Elections for each election. Early voting sites for local residents have historically included the Murdock Administration Building, Mid-County Regional Library, and other convenient locations published before each election.