Venus, Florida Public Records

Notable employers in Venus include the Venus Cooperative Citrus Growers Association, the Venus Farmer's Market, and several local restaurants and shops that serve the town's residents and the broader Highlands County area.

Residents register to vote through the Florida Division of Elections online portal at https://registertovoter.gov.fl or by submitting a paper voter registration application to the Supervisor of Elections office. Florida law requires voters to register at least 29 days before an election. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens, Florida residents, at least 18 years old by election day, and not adjudicated mentally incapacitated or convicted of a felony unless rights have been restored. Valid Florida driver's license or state ID numbers are required for online registration. Because the community is unincorporated with no municipal government, there are no city elections for mayor or council. Residents vote in Highlands County Commission elections, School Board races, Florida state legislative elections for State House and State Senate districts, statewide offices including Governor, Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, and Commissioner of Agriculture, plus U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate races. Voters are assigned polling places based on their residential precinct, which can be looked up on the Supervisor of Elections website at https://www.votehighlands.com using the "Find My Precinct" tool. Early voting is available at multiple locations throughout Highlands County, typically beginning 10 days before Election Day and running through the Sunday before the election. Vote-by-mail ballots can be requested online, by phone, by mail, or in person at the Supervisor's office. Florida law requires voters to request a mail ballot for each election cycle every two years. Voted mail ballots must be received by the Supervisor of Elections by 7:00 PM on Election Day to be counted. In the November 2024 presidential election, Highlands County reported turnout of approximately 71% of registered voters, with about 36,000 ballots cast out of roughly 50,000 registered voters. The county has historically leaned Republican in presidential and statewide elections. Looking ahead to the November 3, 2026 general election, voters will decide several key races. Florida will elect a U.S. Senator, as one of Florida's U.S. Senate seats is up for election in 2026. Florida does not hold gubernatorial elections in 2026; the next Governor's race is in 2026. Voters will elect Florida state legislators, including members of the Florida House of Representatives, with all 120 seats serving two-year terms, and Florida State Senate, with half of the 40 seats in staggered four-year terms. County voters will also decide county-level races, which may include County Commissioners, Sheriff, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, Clerk of the Circuit Court, and Supervisor of Elections, depending on term schedules. Candidate qualifying for county and state offices typically occurs in the spring, with primary elections in August and the general election in November. All election records in Florida are public under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. The Supervisor of Elections provides online access to voter registration lists with some personal information redacted, precinct-level election results, campaign finance reports filed by candidates and political committees, and candidate filing documents. Highlands County election results, dating back multiple election cycles, are available at https://www.votehighlands.com under the "Election Results" section, with detailed breakdowns by precinct and race.