Final Week Checklist for Florida Campaigns Before the November 3, 2026 Election

In Florida, the final week of the 2026 general election runs on fixed dates. Mandatory early voting is October 24 through 31, Meta stops new political ads at 12:01 AM PT on October 27, vote-by-mail ballots must be received by 7:00 p.m. local time on November 3, and a voter’s ballot signature can be cured until 5 p.m. on November 5. This checklist puts those dates in order and links each to its official source.

Last reviewed October 23, 2026, against the Division of Elections pages, the 2026 Florida Statutes and Meta’s advertiser notices. This is marketing guidance, not legal advice. Your county supervisor of elections sets local sites and hours, and local city races can follow different dates, so confirm them for your own race.

What are the key dates between now and November 5?

They are below. Dates come from the Division of Elections, Florida Statutes and Meta’s notices. Eastern conversions of Meta’s Pacific times are our own, so check them against your account. For how these dates sit in a longer campaign calendar, see our Florida campaign advertising timeline.

What has already closed?

Three things, and your reminders should reflect them.

• Registration. The deadline to register to vote for the general election was October 5, 2026.
• Requesting a mail ballot. The request deadline was 5 p.m. on October 22. Ballots requested within the 10-day period before an election require a special emergency affidavit, according to the Division of Elections.
• Mailing of ballots. Supervisors had to mail ballots to domestic voters between September 24 and October 1, and no later than the 10th day before election day for later requests.

A voter who has not requested a mail ballot can still vote in person at an early voting site or at the polls on Election Day.

What should voter reminders say?

Plain, dated facts, matched to what each voter can still do. Match the reminder to the voter’s situation, as our guide to base, persuadable and low-turnout voters explains. This table pairs each fact with the page it comes from.

Send a mail ballot reminder this week, not on Election Day. The Postal Service recommends that domestic non-military voters mail back voted ballots at least one week before the Election Day deadline, which falls on Tuesday, October 27 by our count.

How does Meta’s cutoff change the last week?

It means any ad you want live through November 3 has to be running before 12:01 AM PT on October 27. Meta says an ad created with a valid disclaimer and delivered at least one impression before then can keep running, with limited edits to bid, budget, end date and pause status. Meta also says its systems may take 6 to 24 hours to record an impression, so an ad that first delivers on Monday may not be eligible right away on Tuesday.

Our guide to Meta’s 2026 restriction period covers the dates and the allowed edits in detail. In short: finish every creative, copy and targeting change now, check delivery in Ads Manager, and name one person who owns the account over the weekend.

What do campaign text messages require?

Disclosure, in most cases. Section 106.147 sets these rules:

• “Paid for by.” A text or call supporting or opposing a candidate or ballot measure must include “Paid for by” and the sponsor’s name, or for a text, a working link to a page with the disclosure.
• A candidate’s own text uses “Paid for by,” the candidate’s name, then “For” and the office sought.
• The linked page must stay online for at least 30 days after the election.
• A sequence of texts sent the same day needs the disclaimer only on the first.
• Written authorization. A text that expressly advocates for or against a candidate and is not an independent expenditure needs the candidate’s prior written authorization, with a copy on file with the qualifying officer before the texts start.
• Exemptions. Texts that require the recipient to opt in are exempt, as is an unpaid person’s individually sent text not using mass distribution technology.
• Penalty. A willful violation is a first-degree misdemeanor.

Section 106.147 addresses text messages and phone calls. It does not mention email. Whether an email needs a Florida disclaimer is a question for your counsel. Our guide to Florida political ad disclaimers covers the disclaimers for ads.

What are the rules around polling places?

Two that a campaign should brief anyone who represents it on. Section 100.011 sets polls to open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m., and a voter in line at closing may vote. Section 102.031 bars soliciting voters within 150 feet of the entrance to a polling place or early voting site, and inside the polling place. The statute defines solicitation to include seeking a vote or opinion and distributing political or campaign material.

Your supervisor of elections or the clerk marks the boundary at each site, so the zone is set locally. Ask your counsel for what your team may and may not do near a site.

What should the last week look like, day by day?

A suggested plan follows. It is our recommendation, not a legal requirement.

Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24

1. Audit every Meta ad: delivery recorded, disclaimer correct, creative final, budget and end date set for the window.
2. Fix any ad that has not delivered an impression, or replace it today.
3. Send the first early voting reminder with dates, hours and a link to the county’s site list.
4. Check that every text message has the section 106.147 disclosure and that written authorization is on file.

Sunday, October 25 and Monday, October 26

5. Send a mail ballot reminder that says the ballot must be received by 7:00 p.m. on November 3, with drop box guidance from your county.
6. Confirm who owns the Meta account on Tuesday morning and who can pause or raise budgets.
7. Prepare your Election Day message, in every language you run, so nothing needs new creative after Tuesday.

Tuesday, October 27 through Saturday, October 31

8. Do not edit locked fields on live Meta ads. Adjust only bid, budget, end date and pause status.
9. Use email, text, search and any channel outside Meta for fresh messages.
10. Send early voting reminders for each day, pointing to the supervisor’s site list.

Sunday, November 1 through Wednesday, November 4

11. On November 1, point voters to counties that offer Sunday early voting.
12. On November 3, send an Election Day message with the 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. window and the line-at-closing rule.
13. On November 4, Meta’s window has ended, but the election is over. Move to thanks, and send a cure reminder only to supporters who tell you they received a signature notice before the 5 p.m. deadline on November 5.

What should a campaign avoid in the last week?

• Late creative edits on Meta ads. Locked changes can stop an ad from running.
• Vague deadlines. Say “received by 7:00 p.m.” for mail ballots. Do not say “postmarked.”
• Unlabeled text blasts. Check the section 106.147 disclosure on every message.
• Guaranteed turnout promises. No ad or text can promise how a voter will act or how an election will end.
• Assuming one county’s hours apply everywhere. Link to each county’s supervisor of elections.

How can Advocacy Aces help?

Advocacy Aces is a digital advertising and creative agency for campaigns and law firms in South Florida, working in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. If you have Meta ads or voter messages that need a check before the cutoff, or you want a plan for the channels outside Meta, we can review your setup and help build email and text programs and digital ads. You keep ownership of your ad accounts, and ad spend goes directly to the platforms. We do not promise election results.

If you want a second set of eyes this week, send us your race and your setup. Schedule Consultation

This article is marketing guidance, not legal advice. Election, platform and bar rules change, so confirm the details with your campaign counsel, filing officer or bar before you rely on them.