Pensacola Voter Guide for Election Day Tuesday: Polls 7 to 7, the LOST Penny Tax and Amendment 3

The early part of this election is over in Escambia County. Saturday, October 31, was the final day of early voting for the November 3 general election, with 10 locations open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., NorthEscambia reported. Anyone who has not yet voted casts their ballot the traditional way on Tuesday.

Election Day rules are stricter than early voting's. Polls are open Tuesday, November 3, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and voters cast their ballots at the precinct assigned to their home address — not at any site in the county, as early voting allowed.

The local question at the top of the ballot is the Local Option Sales Tax. Escambia County voters decide whether to renew the one-cent tax, known as LOST, which would extend it until 2038 and generate at least $1 billion, the Pensacola News Journal reported. Escambia County projected $63 million from the tax in 2026 and Pensacola about $9.8 million, and a University of West Florida Haas Center study credited the tax with a $2.1 billion economic impact since 2009, supporting about 4,200 jobs. Supporters organized as Penny for Progress have spent more than $158,000 since April advocating for the renewal.

Statewide, the same ballot carries Amendment 3, the property tax measure all of Florida votes on Tuesday. The News Journal's analysis frames the two questions together: rejecting the LOST renewal while approving Amendment 3 is the combination local leaders say could leave Escambia County and Pensacola facing a major financial squeeze after Election Day.