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Flooding Moves Florida Polling Places on Election Day as Voters Are Sent to Temporary Sites

Heavy rain and flooding in east central Florida forced election officials to move at least 20 polling locations in seven counties on Election Day, sending voters to temporary sites under a state emergency order.

By admin Nov. 3, 2026 · 12:41 PM ET 2 min read

A residential street in Florida covered with floodwater, with houses and palm trees on both sides under a gray sky.

Voters in at least 20 polling locations in seven Florida counties were sent to temporary voting sites on Tuesday, November 3, after torrential rain and flooding in east central Florida, according to state election officials cited by USA TODAY.

Three people with umbrellas walking toward the entrance of a plain community center building on a rainy day.

Rainfall as high as 24 inches was reported in the hardest-hit counties on November 1 and 2, USA TODAY reported. The flooding and flood warnings on Monday prompted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare states of emergency in several counties, as voters headed to the polls to choose his replacement and to decide control of Congress.

A flooded road lined with orange traffic cones, with a car driving through standing water in the distance.

Brevard and St. Lucie counties report the most moves

In Brevard County, where some of the heaviest flooding occurred, six precincts were temporarily relocated. The county said the changes were for the safety and security of its election workers and voters, and it advised voters to keep checking its website for updates to polling locations on Election Day.

Seven polling locations were relocated in St. Lucie County, which was also hard hit by the flooding, according to USA TODAY.

The Florida Department of State published a list of temporary sites under Executive Order 26-227. In Brevard County, precincts 307, 512 and 525, which normally vote at the Max K. Rodes Park Community Center, were moved to the New Shiloh Christian Center at 3900 Sarno Road in Melbourne. Precinct 306, which normally votes at the Eddie Lee Taylor Sr. Community Center, was moved to the Joseph N. Davis Community Center in Melbourne.

Stacks of sandbags piled along the outside walls of a low public building on wet pavement.

Voters told to check before leaving home

State officials said the list of relocations was subject to change as new information became available, and voters were told to confirm their assigned site with their county elections office before going out to vote.

Severe weather affected voting in other states as well. Karen Brinson Bell, founder and co-lead of the Partnership for Elections and Emergency Response, told USA TODAY that Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah had faced flooding and evacuations, and a tornado was reported in Oklahoma. She said election officials had worked through contingency plans and voting continued.

Reporting based on coverage by USA TODAY and the Florida Department of State.

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