OCALA, FL (352Today.com) – Election season is here, and with national talk about the SAVE Act and new voting laws circulating online, some Marion County residents may be asking whether the rules have changed this year.

They have not.

Supervisor of Elections for Marion County Wesley Wilcox confirmed that the process for casting a ballot in the August 18, 2026, primary and November 3, 2026, general election remains the same as in recent cycles.

According to Wilcox, as of the early afternoon of Tuesday, July 28, 2026, just over 27,000 vote-by-mail ballots had been requested in Marion County, with about 7,400, or roughly 27 percent, already returned.

“As soon as I tell you what the number is, probably 10 minutes later, it’s changed,” Wilcox said. “Right now, I have just over 27,000 go-by-mail requests, and right at 7,400 returns. So, that’s about 27 percent of them have been returned. I suspect this week will be a big week for vote-by-mail returns. Just as we move forward, people look at prior years. The challenge with looking at prior years right now is that delivery times from the United States Postal Service have changed. You know, so what was delivered in two days a few years ago, now it’s three or four days.”

Wilcox noted the county is running a bit behind the 2024 vote-by-mail pace but cautioned that 2024 was a presidential year and not a direct comparison.

“We’re a little bit behind where we were in 2024. That was also a presidential year, so it’s not really comparing apples to apples,” he said.

Wilcox’s guidance to voters was straightforward: Don’t wait.

“People are going to vote by mail. I would encourage them not to wait to request or to return the ballot because, as we mentioned earlier, now I know a lot of people are going to wait until early voting sites and deposit them at the early voting sites. But if you’re going to use the United States Postal Service, like tens of thousands of people successfully do, don’t wait till [the last minute] because Florida is very strict,” Wilcox said.

According to the Supervisor of Elections website, the deadline to request a mail ballot for the primary is August 6, 2026, at 5 p.m. Completed ballots must be received by the elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, August 18, 2026, to count. They can be returned by mail or dropped at Secure Ballot Intake Stations at early voting sites or the Marion County Election Center at 981 NE 16th Street in Ocala during business hours.

Voting early in person

Early voting for the Primary runs Saturday, August 8, 2026 through Saturday, August 15, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Any registered Marion County voter can vote at any open early voting location.

Voters looking for their assigned Election Day precinct can use the precinct finder tool here by entering their residential address.

Florida already requires voters to show a current and valid photo ID that includes a signature when voting in person during early voting or on Election Day. Acceptable forms include a Florida driver’s license, Florida ID card, U.S. passport, military ID and several others listed on the Supervisor of Elections website.

Will this election be SAVEd?

National discussion of the federal SAVE Act and Florida’s HB 991 has caused some confusion. Wilcox addressed it directly.

“The Federal SAVE Act did not become law, but HB 991 did. All of the provisions as they relate to citizenship verification or ID do not take effect until after January first of 2027. So there are no changes between what we did in 2024, 2022, or 2020, and what we’re going to do this year,” Wilcox said.

He emphasized there is no new citizenship documentation requirement for this election cycle.

“There are literally no changes. So, if you were fine in 2024, and you do the same thing again in 2026, you’re all good,” he stated.

Wilcox said he and other supervisors across Florida are focused on the upcoming primary and general elections. The major new rules under HB 991 take effect in 2027.

The bottom line for Marion County voters is that the rules for requesting and returning mail ballots, early voting and showing photo ID remain the same as in previous years. Mail-in ballots must arrive at the elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, early voting runs Aug. 8-15 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and no new citizenship or ID requirements apply this year.

For the most up-to-date information, including exact early voting addresses, sample ballots, and registration status, visit votemarion.gov or call the Marion County Election Center at 352-620-3290.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This informative article by Jamie is part of 352Today’s 2026 Community Election Guide, which drops this Friday, July 31, and will be full of helpful information on the subject of making one’s voice heard in this year’s Primary and General Elections. Be on the lookout! -ed.)