Election officials warn redistricting may change Central Florida ballots and polling places

Showing up with an old voter card could send a Central Florida voter to the wrong precinct or leave them unsure about which district races belong on the ballot.

That warning came as election supervisors from Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties met Wednesday to explain how Florida’s revised congressional map could affect the 2026 election cycle. The new map was updated May 4, 2026, after Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a January 7 proclamation calling lawmakers into special session to consider congressional redistricting and related legal challenges. The overhaul reworks 21 of Florida’s 28 U.S. House districts, while districts 1 through 7 remain unchanged.

For Seminole County voters, the congressional lines did not change, but election officials said the broader shift still matters because nearby county boundaries and precinct assignments can change as administrators update records. A voting rights group filed suit soon after the map was signed, and officials are moving ahead while court challenges remain possible.

Orange County Supervisor of Elections Karen Castor Dentel said some voters will receive new voter information cards with updated district numbers. Florida sends those cards when a registration is updated or when a polling place changes, and the card lists a voter’s party affiliation, assigned precinct, polling place and district offices. The Florida Division of Elections also provides precinct lookup and voter information lookup tools so voters can confirm where they are assigned before they head to the polls.

Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Amy Pennock has been pushing voters to check the basics now: name, address, signature and registration status. That advice matters because Seminole County’s next general election is Nov. 3, 2026, with the registration deadline set for Oct. 5. Early voting runs Oct. 19 through Nov. 1, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the deadline to request a mailed vote-by-mail ballot is Oct. 22.

The county’s voter guide says Seminole will have no elections in 2025, making the 2026 cycle the first major chance for many voters to confirm whether their records still match the precinct and ballot they expect. Kathy Schmitz of the League of Women Voters of Orange County said the redistricting scramble adds work for election offices because voters still need to know where they vote and who they are voting for. In close races, she said, every ballot matters.