In Person, It Was a Record: 46,194 Early Ballots in Escambia, 33,499 in Santa Rosa - the Most for a Midterm Since 2004
Northwest Florida did not wait for Election Day, and it did not vote by mail alone. In-person early voting set midterm records in both counties, and Escambia's supervisor projects about 56 percent turnout if Tuesday matches 2022 - with one precinct, No. 35, voting in a new place.
The record is in the room, not the mailbox. In-person early voting for the 2026 midterm set all-time midterm records in both Escambia and Santa Rosa counties - the highest in-person early turnout for a midterm since Florida began early voting in 2004, the Pensacola News Journal reported Monday. Escambia County cast 46,194 ballots in person across its 10 early voting sites during the Oct. 19-31 period, and Santa Rosa County cast 33,499. With mail ballots added, Escambia's total reached 64,723 as of Saturday - 46,194 early, 18,488 by mail and 41 provisional, according to NorthEscambia - led by Asbury Place, the Bellview Branch Library and the Escambia County Extension Office, each drawing more than 8,000 early voters, while Century cast 381 and Molino 2,540.
Escambia Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender put the record in perspective, as reported by the News Journal: it is still only about half of what his office saw in 2024, though the volume in the final two days of early voting was approaching presidential-year levels. His projection is measured - if Election Day participation comes in at the same level as 2022, total turnout will land around 56 percent, below the 61 percent Escambia recorded in 2018. Bender said the county is ready, with more than 600 election workers staffing polling locations on Tuesday.
One service fact in the record story matters to a few thousand voters directly: only one polling location in the two counties was moved by Hurricane Isaias. Precinct 35 in East Pensacola Heights will vote at Heights Baptist Church, 600 Pickens Ave., instead of the East Pensacola Heights Clubhouse. Santa Rosa County has issued no polling-location changes. Everywhere else, the routine holds - assigned precincts, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., lookups at EscambiaVotes.gov and VoteSantaRosa.gov - and anyone in line at 7 p.m. still votes.
