Gainesville prepares for Aug. 18 city election as mayor and three commission seats appear on ballot

Gainesville’s nonpartisan municipal election is entering its final stretch before Tuesday, Aug. 18, with the mayor-at-large seat and City Commission Districts 2, 3 and 4 on the ballot. The election is administered by the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office.

The voter-registration deadline was July 20, so residents who were not registered by that date should not expect to newly register for this election. Registered voters can still check their status, city-limit eligibility, commission district, polling place and sample ballot before voting.

What is on the ballot

Every registered voter living within Gainesville city limits may vote in the mayor-at-large contest. City Commission races are district elections: voters may vote only in the commission contest for the district where they live.

The mayoral candidates are Harvey L. Ward Jr., Evan Morgan Moon and James Lesesne Jr.

District 2 candidates are Nelida Jean Baptiste-Pellot, Wyatt Clark Zintiz and Nathan Crabbe.

District 3 candidates are Casey Willits, DeJeon Cain and James Walton Gardner. Billy Rohan is listed by the city as withdrawn.

Bryan Eastman is the only candidate listed for District 4. That listing does not by itself state that the office is guaranteed before all applicable election procedures are complete.

Key dates and voting hours

Early voting is scheduled for Aug. 7 through Aug. 15, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. The listed early-voting sites are:

• Supervisor of Elections Office, 515 N. Main St.
• Millhopper Branch Library, 3145 NW 43rd St.
• J. Wayne Reitz Union, 655 Reitz Union Drive, UF campus
• Tower Road Branch Library, 3020 SW 75th St.
• Santa Fe College, S-029, 3000 NW 83rd St., Santa Fe College campus

Election Day is Tuesday, Aug. 18. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters should go to their assigned polling place and bring picture and signature identification. The city directs voters to their Voter Information Card and the county elections office for precinct and polling-place information.

Vote-by-mail and voter checks

Voters who want to vote by mail must request a ballot through the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office and follow the county’s instructions for returning it and meeting applicable deadlines. The county provides tools for checking registration status, finding polling places and reviewing sample ballots.

Before voting, residents should confirm that they live within Gainesville city limits and verify their commission district. A voter may be eligible to vote in the citywide mayoral race but not in every commission race.

Possible runoff

The city lists Nov. 3, 2026, as the date for a Gainesville runoff election if one is needed. The listing is a possible runoff date, not a statement that a runoff will occur.

For the latest election details, voters should recheck the city’s election page and the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections before heading to a polling place, particularly if voting locations or vote-by-mail instructions change.

Sources

• City of Gainesville — City Elections
• Alachua County Supervisor of Elections — Municipalities