Your Nov. 3 ballot in Vero Beach: every race, every question, and where to vote

A Vero Beach ballot is long this year. It runs from the U.S. Senate down to the City Council and three proposed changes to the Florida Constitution. Here is every item, so nothing surprises you in the booth.

This guide sticks to the facts: who and what is on the ballot, and how to vote. It does not tell you how to vote. Your exact ballot depends on where you live, so look up your own sample ballot at voteindianriver.gov.

How to vote

• Early voting: through Saturday, Oct. 31, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and until 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29. Use any of four sites: the Main Library, 1600 21st St., Vero Beach; the Supervisor of Elections office, 4375 43rd Ave., Vero Beach; the Intergenerational Recreation Center, Room 112, 1590 9th St. SW, Vero Beach; or Sebastian City Hall Council Chambers, 1225 Main St., Sebastian.
• Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., at your own assigned polling place only. It may not be the place you voted last time.
• Mail ballots: the deadline to request one has passed. If you have one, it must arrive by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3. Drop it at the secure ballot intake station at any early voting site during early voting hours, or at the Supervisor of Elections office. Polling places do not accept mail ballots on Election Day.
• What to bring: a photo ID with your signature, such as a Florida driver license or ID card, U.S. passport, or a military or student ID. If your photo ID has no signature, bring a second ID that does. Without proper ID you can still vote a provisional ballot.

Federal races

• U.S. Senate (a special election to finish Marco Rubio’s term, which runs through January 2029): Ashley Moody (Republican), Angie Nixon (Democrat), Neil J. Gillespie (No Party Affiliation).
• U.S. House, District 9: Dan Green (Republican) and Darren Soto (Democrat, incumbent). Florida redrew its congressional map in April 2026.

State races

• Governor and Lt. Governor: Byron Donalds and Bryan Avila (Republican); David Jolly and Gwen Graham (Democrat); Scott Eckhard Jewett and Nicole Skelly (Libertarian); and five No Party Affiliation tickets: Charles Burkett and Ruben A. Coto, Frank J. Russo and Rachel Rodriguez, Moliere “Moe” Dimanche and Benjiman Rojas, Dean Ocean Abrams and Joe Van Vactor, and Jeffrey Peter “Dr. Jeff” Datto and Juan Santana.
• Attorney General: James Uthmeier (Republican), Jose Javier Rodriguez (Democrat).
• Chief Financial Officer: Blaise Ingoglia (Republican), Annette Taddeo (Democrat).
• Commissioner of Agriculture: Wilton Simpson (Republican), Joey Mendoza Atkins (Democrat).
• State House, District 34: Robbie Brackett (Republican, incumbent), Jordyn Guadalupe Balderas (Democrat). There is no state Senate race on this year’s Indian River County ballot.

Judges: yes or no on keeping each one

Florida judges do not run against opponents in these races. You vote yes or no on whether each one keeps the job. On the ballot: Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos G. Muñiz, and five judges of the 4th District Court of Appeal, which hears appeals from Indian River County: Alan O. Forst, Mark W. Klingensmith, Johnathan D. Lott, Shannon K. Shaw and Caroline Cahill Shepherd.

County races

• County Commission, District 2 (an open seat; Commissioner Joe Flescher is not running again): Jennifer Pippin (Republican), Robbie Hardingham (Democrat), plus a write-in candidate.
• County Commission, District 4: Deryl Loar (Republican, incumbent), Marc Jaffe (Democrat).
• Indian River Mosquito Control District, Seat 2, a nonpartisan race. Check your sample ballot for the names.
• There is no school board race on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Vero Beach City Council

If you live inside Vero Beach city limits, you can vote for up to three of these eight candidates for three seats, each a two-year term. They are listed in alphabetical order: Davis Benedict, Brian Heady, Jay Kramer, Robert MacCallum, Linda Moore (incumbent), John O’Connor, Aaron Vos (incumbent) and Tracey Zudans.

Council member John Carroll is not running again. Vero Beach voters do not elect the mayor directly. The new council picks a mayor from among its members. A Vero Beach mailing address does not always mean you live in the city; if this race is on your sample ballot, you do.

The three state constitutional amendments

The Legislature put all three on the ballot. Each needs at least 60% of the statewide vote to pass. Here is what a “yes” would do, in plain words. A “no” keeps things as they are.

• Amendment 1, Budget Stabilization Fund: raises the cap on the state’s rainy-day savings fund from 10% to 25% of general revenue, and requires the Legislature to set money aside each year (the lesser of $750 million or what is needed to reach the cap), with some exceptions.
• Amendment 2, Exemption of Tangible Personal Property on Agricultural Land from Taxation: exempts farm equipment and similar property kept on agricultural land and used for farming or agritourism from property tax, starting with tax year 2027.
• Amendment 3, Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments: raises the homestead exemption on non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, then adjusts it for inflation. It lowers the yearly cap on assessment increases for rentals, second homes and business property from 10% to 5%, and limits how local governments may use property tax money. It would take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

What to do this week

1. Look up your sample ballot and your Election Day polling place at voteindianriver.gov, or call the Supervisor of Elections at 772-226-4700 (Spanish: 833-347-2763).
2. Read every item at home first. The amendments are long, and the full text is in the state’s 2026 amendment booklet.
3. Pick your time. Weekday early voting is usually the quickest, and Thursday, Oct. 29 runs until 6 p.m.
4. If you have a mail ballot, return it in person at an early voting site or the elections office so it arrives in time.
5. Bring a photo ID with your signature.