A single guide for a crowded ballot
With Tallahassee voters preparing to cast ballots Tuesday, a newly updated election guide is bringing the city’s major contests, candidate forums and voting information into one place. The guide, updated Nov. 3 at 8:58 a.m. ET, is designed to help residents review the choices before heading to the polls on Election Day.
The collection includes links to recorded debates, exclusive candidate question-and-answer sessions and a race-by-race overview. It also directs voters to information about what they need to vote. Polls are scheduled to be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, giving residents a defined window to make their decisions count.
Local offices at the center of the guide
Several Tallahassee and Leon County contests are featured in the candidate forums organized by the Tallahassee Democrat in partnership with the League of Women Voters and the Capital Region News Collaborative. That collaborative is powered by Press Forward North Florida, an initiative of the Community Foundation of North Florida, and includes the Tallahassee Democrat, WFSU, WCTV, WTXL, the Capital Outlook and Tallahassee Reports.
| Race | Candidates listed |
|---|---|
| Leon County Commission District 3 | C.B. Lorch and Rick Minor |
| Tallahassee City Commission Seat 3 | Tom Derzypolski and PJ Perez |
| City Commission Seat 4, mayor | Loranne Ausley and Jeremy Matlow |
| City Commission Seat 5 | Dot Inman-Johnson and Dianne Williams-Cox |
| State Representative District 9 | Tracy Robinson and Allison Tant |
| Leon County Commission District 5 | David T. Hawkins and David O’Keefe |
The forums cover the city’s commission seats, including the mayoral contest, along with county commission and state legislative races. In the District 9 state House race, the guide identifies Tracy Robinson as a Republican and Allison Tant as a Democrat. Williams-Cox is identified as the incumbent in the Seat 5 city commission race.
Debates remain available before voting
Residents who want to hear directly from candidates can watch replays of the forums through the Tallahassee Democrat’s website and its general-election playlist on YouTube. The events were broadcast live on the newspaper’s Facebook page, YouTube channel and Tallahassee.com, then archived online under the playlist titled “2026 General Election Candidate Forums.”
The District 5 county commission forum was canceled after Hawkins declined the invitation to debate. That leaves voters in the contest with the broader guide and other available campaign information as they compare the candidates.
“To help you dig into the issues and vote with confidence on Election Day,” the guide presents debates, candidate Q&As and information about the races.
Issue comparisons and ballot preparation
In addition to the video forums, the newspaper has assembled a general-election guide for subscribers that places candidates side by side on issues. The guide says it covers almost every race that may appear on a voter’s ballot, giving residents a way to review policy positions rather than relying only on campaign appearances or last-minute impressions.
- Review the candidate forums and archived debate replays.
- Compare candidates through the issue-focused election guide.
- Confirm voting details before arriving at a polling place.
- Plan to vote between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday.
A print and electronic replica of the newspaper’s election guide is also available, based on editions published Oct. 18 and Oct. 19. Voters can use the compiled material to narrow their focus among the city, county and state races before polls close. The guide’s practical information and candidate coverage arrive at the final moment when Tallahassee residents can prepare, review the choices and participate in the 2026 general election.
