How Florida's Primary Election Works

Florida uses a closed primary election system. Voters registered with a political party may only vote in that party's primary, while voters without a party affiliation generally cannot participate in partisan primary contests. An exception applies when all candidates for an office belong to the same party and the winner will face no opposition in the general election. In that case, the primary becomes a Universal Primary Contest and all registered voters may participate regardless of party affiliation.

Florida does not hold primary runoff elections. Candidates only need to receive a plurality of the vote to win their party's nomination, meaning the candidate with the most votes advances to the November general election even if they do not receive an outright majority.