Polls opened at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, for a governor's race that will shape property insurance costs, education spending and development policy across South Florida.

Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly head a 10-ticket ballot to replace Gov. Ron DeSantis, who cannot run again after two consecutive terms. Polls close at 7 p.m. Eastern. Voters in line at that time can still cast a ballot.

One wrinkle for Miami-Dade voters: 19 precinct locations have temporarily moved because of construction, scheduling conflicts and other logistical issues, the Miami Herald reported. Miami-Dade Elections Supervisor Alina Garcia said voters should check their assigned location at votemiamidade.gov before heading out.

More than 5.4 million Floridians had already voted early or by mail as of 8 a.m. Nov. 3, the Tallahassee Democrat reported. That is about 40% of the state's 13.7 million registered voters. Results will be posted on the Florida Department of State's election results page.

The major-party tickets

Donalds-Avila (Republican): Donalds represents Southwest Florida's 19th Congressional District in the U.S. House, a seat he has held since 2021, according to candidate records. He previously served in the Florida House from 2016 to 2020. His running mate, Bryan Avila, left his Florida state Senate seat to join the ticket, according to the Independent Florida Alligator's voter guide. Avila was born in Hialeah and joined Donalds there in May 2026 for the launch of "Latinos for Byron," according to the Tallahassee Democrat. If elected, Donalds would be the first Black governor in Florida history, the Alligator reported. President Donald Trump has endorsed Donalds.

Jolly-Graham (Democratic): Jolly served in the U.S. House from 2014 to 2017 as a Republican. He left the Republican Party in September 2018, co-founded the Forward Party in 2022 and registered as a Democrat in April 2025, according to biographical records. His running mate, Gwen Graham, was born in Miami Lakes. She served in the U.S. House from 2015 to 2017 and later held a post at the U.S. Department of Education. She is the daughter of former Florida Gov. Bob Graham. Former President Barack Obama has endorsed Jolly.

A New York Times/Siena Research Institute poll conducted Oct. 19–25 showed Donalds at 48% and Jolly at 44%, the Alligator reported.

Property insurance

For barrier-island homeowners on Key Biscayne and waterfront residents in Coconut Grove, insurance costs loom large. The average annual homeowners premium including wind coverage was $6,136 in Broward County as of March 2026, and $7,863 in Monroe County, according to Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation data reported by the Salish Current.

Both candidates call homeowners insurance a top affordability issue, but they disagree on how to fix it, according to a Sun Sentinel comparison published Oct. 20.

Donalds said he wants to preserve the 2022 and 2023 insurance reforms, increase private-market competition, expand home-hardening grants and cut rebuilding costs through permitting reform. He told the Sun Sentinel his goal is to bring costs down another 20% to 25%.

Jolly proposed creating a state-backed catastrophe fund to carry hurricane and wind risk, with private insurers handling other coverage. His campaign has claimed the plan could cut premiums 60% to 70%. That estimate has not been established through an independent actuarial analysis, according to a Lower Mortgage policy comparison published Oct. 30. The Alligator also noted that a PolitiFact investigation found insurance experts doubt the fund would save homeowners in the long run.

Both plans would require approval from the Florida Legislature, the Lower Mortgage analysis noted.

Other priorities

Donalds lists affordability, education and law and order as his top three priorities, according to his campaign. He supports school choice, an expansion of private school vouchers and early literacy programs. He supports Amendment 3, which would increase the homestead property tax exemption. He has also proposed a "shot clock" for building permits to speed approvals.

Jolly lists affordability, education and a pause on data center development as his top priorities. He has proposed a 10-year plan to increase public school investment, including raising teacher pay by 30%, according to candidate records. He has promised an immediate one-year moratorium on data centers if elected. He also plans to expand Medicaid, the Alligator reported.

A local name on the ballot

Among eight additional qualified tickets listed by the Florida Division of Elections, one carries a familiar South Florida name. Charles Burkett, the former mayor of Surfside, is running with no party affiliation alongside running mate Ruben A. Coto. While Surfside mayor in 2021, Burkett led his community through the Champlain Towers South condominium collapse, which killed 98 people, WLRN reported. His campaign has focused on stopping what he calls the "Manhattanization" of South Florida.

The other tickets on the ballot are Scott Jewett (Libertarian) with Nicole Skelly, Dean Ocean Abrams (NPA) with Joe Van Vactor, Jeffrey Peter "Dr. Jeff" Datto (NPA) with Juan Santana, Moliere "Moe" Dimanche (NPA) with Benjiman Rojas, Frank J. Russo (NPA) with Rachel Rodriguez, Kathy Anderson (write-in) with Daniel Nokovich and Erik Morris (write-in) with LeRoy Alaways.

Voters need a current, valid photo ID with signature. Acceptable forms include a Florida driver's license, Florida ID card, U.S. passport or military ID. DeSantis leaves office Jan. 5, 2027.