Tallahassee — Florida’s local election supervisors have been instructed to retain their old congressional district maps even as they begin the complex process of adopting new districts created by Governor Ron DeSantis for the 2026 midterm elections. This advisory, issued by a state official last Monday, comes amid three lawsuits challenging the legality of the new map, which DeSantis signed into law earlier that day. The instruction suggests concerns that legal challenges may stall the implementation of the aggressive redistricting effort aimed at boosting Republican representation.
Legal Challenges and State Directives
The new statewide map, drawn by the governor’s staff and outside counsel, impacts 21 of Florida’s 28 congressional districts, with significant effects on Central Florida, Tampa Bay, and South Florida. Civil rights groups filed three lawsuits within hours of the bill’s signing, contesting the map as an illegal gerrymander that violates the state’s Fair District laws, which ban political gerrymandering and the dilution of minority voting power. Ashley Davis, general counsel for the Department of State, emailed election officials on May 4, advising them to preserve the previous congressional map used in the 2022 and 2024 elections “in case the need to implement it becomes necessary.”
Impact on Orange and Osceola Counties
Orange and Osceola Counties are among the most affected by the redistricting. In Orange County, population shifts primarily impact congressional districts 8, 9, and 10, with almost all of Orlando squeezed into the sole remaining Democrat-dominated seat, District 10. Karen Castor Dentel, Orange County’s supervisor of elections, stated that 300,000 of the county’s 820,000 voters are being redistricted. This requires sending new voter cards at an estimated cost of $300,000. Dentel noted that the office must pull staff from other tasks, such as polling place contract preparation, to handle the redistricting efforts.
Osceola County is also facing significant changes, with an estimated 35,000 voters reassigned to Congressional District 18. Supervisor of Elections Mary Jane Arrington expressed concern over the timeline for designing and printing ballots, which must be mailed by July 4, 45 days before the August 18 primary. Arrington emphasized the goal of keeping voters in the same polling locations, though some reassignments are inevitable.
Costs and Logistics for Local Officials
Election supervisors across the state face a tedious process of overlaying new data onto existing maps and altering street addresses to correspond with the new districts. Mark Earley, supervisor of elections for Leon County, described the process as requiring extensive double-checking to ensure accuracy. Legislative staff analysis indicates that local supervisors will incur costs for data processing, labor, postage, and printing to notify voters of precinct changes. There is no state funding available to assist with these expenses, leaving counties to absorb the financial burden during an already busy election preparation period.
