Polk County Sees 1,346 Early Voters on First Day of Primary Voting
Polk County voters cast 1,346 in-person ballots Saturday, the opening day of early voting for the Aug. 18 primary election. Sunday’s total was 719.
This reflects in-person early votes only and does not include vote-by-mail ballots already returned to the Supervisor of Elections. We’ve included the most up-to-date preliminary (unofficial) live voting turnout information as of publication.
These figures reflect preliminary, unofficial counts as of publication. As of 10:10 p.m. Sunday, 22,223 vote-by-mail ballots had been returned, and 2,065 in-person early votes had been counted over the weekend. That is 24,288 ballots cast in total, or about 5.4 percent of the county’s 450,579 registered voters.
Turnout in Polk County primaries has historically run well below general election levels. In 2022, 107,595 of the county’s 458,210 registered voters cast ballots in the August primary, a turnout of 23.48 percent, compared with 49.74 percent that November. The 2018 primary drew 27.54 percent. Polk County has 450,579 active, eligible registered voters heading into this election, including 191,723 Republicans, 131,086 Democrats, 110,579 with no party affiliation and 18,541 registered with other parties.
Early voting runs daily through Saturday, Aug. 15, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 10 sites across the county.
Unlike Election Day on August 18, when voters must report to their assigned precinct, any registered Polk County voter may cast a ballot at any early voting location.
Voters must bring a valid photo and signature identification. A voter information card is helpful but is not accepted as valid ID.
Secure Ballot Intake Stations are available at every early voting site during early voting hours for voters returning completed mail ballots in person. Stations are also available at Election Headquarters in Bartow and the Election Operations Center in Winter Haven on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
All mail ballots must be received by the Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
The primary ballot includes races for Florida governor, a U.S. Senate seat and all 28 congressional districts, along with county commission and school board contests.
Polk County’s 10 early voting locations are:
Bartow: Polk Street Community Center, 1255 Polk St., Bartow, FL 33830
Davenport: Polk County Sheriff’s Northeast District Office, Community Room, 1100 Dunson Road, Davenport, FL 33896
Haines City: Haines City Public Library, 111 N. Sixth St., Haines City, FL 33844
Lake Alfred: Northeast Polk Government Center, 200 Government Center Blvd., Lake Alfred, FL 33850
Lake Wales: Lake Wales Family Recreation Center, 1001 Burns Ave., Lake Wales, FL 33853
Lakeland: Polk County Government Center, 930 E. Parker St., Lakeland, FL 33801
Lakeland: Simpson Park Community Center, 1725 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Lakeland, FL 33805
Mulberry: Mulberry Civic Center, 901 NE Fifth St., Mulberry, FL 33860
Poinciana: Poinciana Community Fitness Center, 397 Marigold Ave., Kissimmee, FL 34759
Winter Haven: Nora Mayo Hall, 500 Third St. NW, Winter Haven, FL 33881
Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Aug. 18.
The Citrus Tea News does not endorse candidates and reports on all races without partisan preference. We accept paid political advertising, which is clearly labeled and offered to every candidate in a race at the same rates. Advertising has no influence on our coverage.
Sources: Polk County Supervisor of Elections, polkelections.gov, August 9, 2026; “Early Voting & Secure Ballot Intake Station Locations,” Polk County Supervisor of Elections, polkelections.gov; “2026 Primary Election,” Polk County Supervisor of Elections, polkelections.gov
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