Polk County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
15 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 7 Polk County races, led by the Polk County Commission District 4 contest; 4 more races were decided at the primary.
County offices
Commission District 4Omar Arroyo (R) · Elisha Gresham (Write-In)
Omar Arroyo Republican
- Public safety and support for law enforcement
- Economic development, job creation, and lower taxes
- Infrastructure investment and affordable housing
Per the campaign site.
About Omar Arroyo
Arroyo founded a construction company after moving to Haines City in 2001 and became a Florida-certified building contractor, per the campaign site. He served as Haines City's first Hispanic commissioner, vice mayor, and mayor before running for Polk County Commission District 4, per the campaign site.
$99,245 raised, per Supervisor of Elections filings.
Elisha Gresham Write-In
Elisha Gresham has filed as a write-in in Polk County Commission District 4, per Supervisor of Elections filings. Write-in names are not printed on Florida ballots; voters write the name in the space provided. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
$70 raised, per Supervisor of Elections filings.
This race was not on the August 18 ballot: with only a qualified write-in opposing him, Omar Arroyo appears on the November 3 ballot against a write-in line, per the Supervisor of Elections.
Full race pageSchool board
School Board District 3Nonpartisan race · Victor Sims · Kate Wallace
Victor Sims and Kate Wallace are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Polk County School Board District 3.
Victor Sims Nonpartisan
- Access to quality education
- Backing educators and teacher retention
- Transparent data on student progress
Per LkldNow's race coverage.
About Victor Sims
Sims is a former foster youth who spent over a decade in the foster care system, per the campaign site. He has built his career as a social worker advocating for children and families and is running for Polk County School Board District 3, per the campaign site.
$15,862.48 raised, per Supervisor of Elections filings.
Kate Wallace Nonpartisan Incumbent
- Raising student academic achievement
- Modernizing teacher compensation to recruit and retain educators
- Parental visibility into curriculum
Per LkldNow and The Citrus Tea.
About Kate Wallace
Wallace was appointed to the Polk County School Board in 2025 by Governor Ron DeSantis and works as director of state government affairs for Spectrum in Florida, per the campaign site. She previously served as founding executive director of Lakeland Leads, now ConnectED Polk, and has worked on education reform in nine states through the Foundation for Excellence in Education, per the campaign site.
August 18 result: no candidate won a majority, so Kate Wallace (45.1 percent, 39,265 votes) and Victor Sims (35.8 percent, 31,212) advance to a November 3 runoff, per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Polk County is split across 4 Florida House districts.
Find your districts by addressFlorida House: 4 districtsDistricts 48, 49, 50, 51
Florida House District 48Jonathan Albert (R) · Alethea Pugh (D)
Jonathan Albert Republican Incumbent
Jonathan Albert is the Republican incumbent representing Florida House District 48, according to the Florida House of Representatives. He is a business owner and Marine Corps veteran who previously served as mayor of Frostproof from 2020 to 2024. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026.
Alethea Pugh Democratic
Alethea Pugh is the Democratic candidate for Florida House District 48 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, according to the Florida Division of Elections certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026.
Jonathan Albert (Republican), Alethea Pugh (Democratic) are on the November 3 ballot for Florida House District 48; Jonathan Albert is the sitting member, per the Florida House of Representatives' official roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the August 18 primary or advanced unopposed; minor-party and no-party-affiliation candidates qualify directly for the November ballot. The field is the Florida Division of Elections' certified 2026 General Election candidate list. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageFlorida House District 49Robert Anzalone (D) · Jennifer Kincart Jonsson (R)
Robert Anzalone Democratic
- Supporting working families
- Stronger public schools
- Affordable healthcare
Per The Ledger.
About Robert Anzalone
Robert Anzalone, 33, is a Lakeland Democrat who spent most of his life in Hernando County before moving to Bartow and then Lakeland, according to The Ledger. He is a candidate for Florida House District 49, campaigning on stronger schools, affordable healthcare and accountable leadership.
Jennifer Kincart Jonsson Republican Incumbent
- Establish an insurance fraud task force to help lower insurance rates
- Support tax relief measures and parental involvement in education
- Protect Florida's agriculture industry, environment and water quality
Per the campaign site.
About Jennifer Kincart Jonsson
Jennifer Kincart Jonsson is the Republican candidate for Florida House District 49, per her campaign site. She serves as Vice President of A-C-T Environmental & Infrastructure, Inc., a Bartow firm owned by her family since 1987, per her campaign site. Jonsson earned a Bachelor of Health Science and Master of Public Health from the University of Florida, per her campaign site.
Robert Anzalone (Democratic), Jennifer Kincart Jonsson (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Florida House District 49; Jennifer Kincart Jonsson is the sitting member, per the Florida House of Representatives' official roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the August 18 primary or advanced unopposed; minor-party and no-party-affiliation candidates qualify directly for the November ballot. The field is the Florida Division of Elections' certified 2026 General Election candidate list. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageFlorida House District 50Jennifer Canady (R) · Ricky Santiago (D) · Jarvis Washington (No Party Affiliation)
Jennifer Canady Republican Incumbent
Jennifer Canady is the Republican incumbent representing Florida House District 50, according to the Florida House of Representatives. She works as a teacher and chairs the House Education and Employment Committee. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026.
Ricky Santiago Democratic
- Cost of living, wages, and affordable housing
- Opposing immigration enforcement based on ethnicity or without warrants
- Returning decision-making power to the community level
Per the campaign site.
About Ricky Santiago
Ricky Santiago owns an architecture design business, Stoneforam Designs, and is the Democratic candidate for Florida House District 50 in Polk County. He came to Lakeland from Puerto Rico as a teenager and earned a degree in electronics technology from Traviss Technical College, per Lakeland Today. He is challenging Republican incumbent Rep. Jennifer Canady.
Jarvis Washington No Party Affiliation
Jarvis Washington is the No Party Affiliation candidate for Florida House District 50 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Florida Division of Elections' certified 2026 General Election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026.
Jennifer Canady (Republican), Ricky Santiago (Democratic), Jarvis Washington (No Party Affiliation) are on the November 3 ballot for Florida House District 50; Jennifer Canady is the sitting member, per the Florida House of Representatives' official roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the August 18 primary or advanced unopposed; minor-party and no-party-affiliation candidates qualify directly for the November ballot. The field is the Florida Division of Elections' certified 2026 General Election candidate list. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageFlorida House District 51Octavio E. Hernandez (D) · Hilary Holley (R)
Octavio E. Hernandez Democratic
- Making Polk County a better place for working families
Per the campaign site.
About Octavio E. Hernandez
Octavio E. Hernandez is a high school algebra teacher and union member who was born in Mexico City and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida in 2015, according to his campaign and Yahoo News. He is a Democratic candidate for the open Florida House District 51 seat, having previously run for the district in 2024.
Hilary Holley Republican Incumbent
- Addressing Florida's property insurance and affordability crisis
- Stopping overdevelopment in Polk County
- School choice for parents
Per the campaign site.
About Hilary Holley
Hilary Holley is the Republican incumbent representing Florida House District 51, elected in a March 2026 special election, according to LkldNow. She serves as executive director of the Florida FFA Foundation.
Octavio E. Hernandez (Democratic), Hilary Holley (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Florida House District 51; Hilary Holley is the sitting member, per the Florida House of Representatives' official roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the August 18 primary or advanced unopposed; minor-party and no-party-affiliation candidates qualify directly for the November ballot. The field is the Florida Division of Elections' certified 2026 General Election candidate list. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageFlorida Senate District 12Colleen Burton (R) · Alfred Reynolds (D)
Colleen Burton Republican Incumbent
Colleen Burton is the Republican incumbent representing Florida Senate District 12, according to the Florida Senate. She previously served as a nonprofit executive director for Polk Vision and the Imperial Symphony Orchestra and in the Florida House from 2014 to 2022. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026.
Alfred Reynolds Democratic
- Education, including low graduation rates and teacher retention
- Affordable housing amid rising rental costs
- Mental health services
Per the campaign site.
About Alfred Reynolds
Alfred Reynolds is a Democratic candidate for Florida Senate District 12 in Polk County. He works as a law study professor and previously served as a juvenile probation officer, law enforcement officer, and adjunct professor in Vermont, according to his campaign site. He is a U.S. Army Reserve veteran and the author of a 2021 book on child soldiers. He faces incumbent Republican Sen. Colleen Burton in the general election, per the News Service of Florida.
Colleen Burton (Republican), Alfred Reynolds (Democratic) are on the November 3 ballot for Florida Senate District 12; Colleen Burton is the sitting member, per the Florida Senate' official roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the August 18 primary or advanced unopposed; minor-party and no-party-affiliation candidates qualify directly for the November ballot. The field is the Florida Division of Elections' certified 2026 General Election candidate list. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageAlready decided at the primary
Already decided at the primary4 seats settled at the 2026 primary; not on the November 3 ballot
These seats were settled at the 2026 primary and will not appear on the November 3 ballot. Full fields and profiles stay on each race page.
Commission District 2: Rick Wilson won the seat.
DECIDED August 18: Rick Wilson won this universal primary, open to all voters, 51.1 percent (43,733 votes) to Kelly Quinn's 48.9 percent (41,850), per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results; the primary decided the seat.
1 other ran; see the full raceSchool Board District 5: Kay Fields won the seat.
DECIDED August 18: incumbent Kay Fields won outright with 57.3 percent (50,007 votes) over Sam Neelam, per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results. This race will not appear on the November 3 ballot.
1 other ran; see the full raceSchool Board District 6: Justin Sharpless won the seat.
DECIDED August 18: Justin Sharpless won outright with 67.4 percent (57,754 votes) over Kasen Hampton, per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results. This race will not appear on the November 3 ballot.
1 other ran; see the full raceSchool Board District 7: Lisa Miller won the seat.
Lisa Miller drew no opponent, so under Florida law she is deemed elected and this race will NOT appear on your August 18, 2026 ballot, per LkldNow's coverage of her unopposed reelection.
See your full ballot
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
Who is on the ballot in Polk County, Florida on November 3, 2026?
Polk County sample ballot 2026: see where the commission, school board and florida house candidates stand on housing, schools and taxes. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Florida?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Florida are listed on the Florida election hub. Florida election hub →
Which Polk County races were already decided at the primary?
4 races were settled at the 2026 primary and will not appear on the November 3 ballot. The results and full candidate fields stay on each race page in the section above.
How do I see my exact Polk County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
Sample ballot by ZIP code in Polk County40 ZIP codes
Candidate roster last updated Sep 25, 2026 from official election sources.