Orange County voters will not automatically receive paper sample ballots for August 18 primary
Orange County voters who are not voting by mail will not automatically receive a paper sample ballot at home before the August 18, 2026, primary. Instead, the county is directing those voters to a mailer with a QR code that leads to online ballot information.
Voters can view or download a personalized sample ballot online, request a paper copy from the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office or pick one up at an elections office. The change affects the sample-ballot delivery format, not a voter’s ability to cast an official ballot.
What changed for in-person voters
For this primary, Orange County is not automatically mailing paper sample ballots to voters who did not register to vote by mail, according to the Supervisor of Elections Office statement reported by ClickOrlando.
Those voters are receiving a mailer with a QR code that directs them to online election information. The county used QR-code mailers during a 2025 special election and has expanded that approach for the August 18 primary.
A sample ballot is an informational guide. It lets voters review the contests and candidates that may appear on their ballot and prepare before voting, but it is not the official ballot used to cast a vote.
How Orlando-area voters can get a sample ballot
Voters can scan the QR code in the county mailer or use the Orange County Supervisor of Elections’ online sample-ballot tools. The personalized lookup is based on a voter’s residential address, precinct, districts and party affiliation, when applicable. Voters can view and download the sample ballot before voting.
Voters who want a paper copy can contact the Orange County Supervisor of Elections at 407-836-2070. ClickOrlando also reported that voters may request a copy by email at sampleballot@ocfelections.gov.
Paper copies are available for pickup at the elections offices at 119 W. Kaley St. in Orlando and 9401 W. Colonial Drive, Suite 360A, in Ocoee.
Why the format matters
The QR-code approach may create an additional hurdle for voters without reliable internet access, a printer or convenient transportation to an elections office. ClickOrlando reported concerns from an Orange County voter and the League of Women Voters of Orange County about the effect on some older, disabled and low-income residents.
Some voters use a printed sample ballot to review candidates and issues before going to the polls. A voter who wants that paper guide for the August primary must now print it, request a mailed copy or arrange to pick one up.
The change does not prevent a voter from casting an official ballot without a paper sample ballot. The county’s online tools also provide information for voters planning to vote early, by mail or on Election Day.
What happens for the November election
The Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office told ClickOrlando that the county plans to return to traditional paper sample-ballot mailings for the November 3, 2026, general election. That remains the office’s stated plan; the QR-code format is the change currently being used for the August primary.
Early voting for the primary runs from August 3 through August 16, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The county’s primary sample ballots identify Election Day as Tuesday, August 18, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voters should check the QR-code mailer or the county elections website before voting. Anyone who needs a printed guide should contact the elections office as soon as possible or visit the Orlando or Ocoee office for a paper copy.
Sources
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