Election season has arrived in East Orlando, with what the source describes as a full ballot. Voters will help choose everyone from the next Orange County Mayor to School Board members, and will also weigh in on three proposed changes to the Florida Constitution, including one that could change what homeowners pay in property taxes.
A notable feature of the year is the number of seats with no incumbent. Mayor Jerry Demings is term-limited after eight years and cannot seek a third term, and four candidates qualified for the race; whoever wins would become only the sixth person to lead Orange County government since voters created the countywide executive office in 1990. The ballot also includes five of the eight county commission districts, an open Clerk of Courts seat filled through a special election, the Orange County School Board Chair, three School Board district seats, three Soil and Water Conservation District seats, and six judgeships. District 4, which includes Avalon Park, has no incumbent because Commissioner Maribel Gomez Cordero is term-limited. School Board Chair Teresa Jacobs is not seeking re-election, and the two sitting board members running to replace her represent Districts 1 and 3, leaving those seats open; District 1 includes Avalon Park. At the federal level, one of Florida's two United States Senate seats is on the ballot in a special election, a neighboring congressional seat is open following a retirement announcement, and the governor's office and most Cabinet offices are up.
Florida holds its elections in two rounds this year. The Primary Election is Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, and the General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Orange County races for mayor, county commission and School Board are nonpartisan, and all registered voters may vote in them in August regardless of party. If one candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote on Aug. 18, that candidate is elected outright; if no one clears that threshold, the top two advance to a runoff in November. Voting in a party's primary for partisan offices requires being registered with that party. The deadline to register or update a record is Monday, Oct. 5, 2026.
Press release issued by Avalon Park Orlando:
https://avalonparkorlando.com/2026-voter-guide/
🤖 AI-assisted content notice: This item was written with AI assistance from the source document linked above. The underlying facts come from that public source, not from our own reporting. No quotes, interviews or original reporting are implied. Spotted something wrong? Email corrections@theorlandoconnect.com.
