Gainesville voters approved commission appointments to fill vacancies, 52.3% to 47.7%. Ken Cornell and Hunter Miller won county races. Turnout: 63.5%.
Gainesville voters approved the city’s charter amendment on Tuesday. Empty City Commission seats will now be filled by the remaining commissioners, not by special elections.
The amendment passed 20,862 votes to 19,051, or 52.3% to 47.7%. That is a margin of 1,811 votes out of 39,913 cast on the question.
The figures are unofficial until the county canvassing board certifies them. They come from the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections’ election night results, last updated at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday with all 63 county precincts reporting. Early votes and mail ballots were listed as completely reported.
The charter amendment
The question asked whether the city charter should let the commission appoint a replacement when the mayor’s seat or a commission seat falls vacant. Under the rule voters have now replaced, a vacancy with more than six months left in the term went to a special election.
Under the amendment, a commissioner or mayor who leaves early is replaced by appointment:
- Early in a term, the appointee holds the seat until the next regular city election, and voters then pick someone to serve out the term.
- Late in a term, the appointee serves the rest of the term.
Our explainer on the charter amendment sets out the old and new rules side by side.
Yes led among every type of ballot, but early voters split most closely:
| How people voted | Yes | No | Yes share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Election Day | 6,662 | 5,733 | 53.7% |
| Early voting | 9,458 | 9,222 | 50.6% |
| Vote by mail | 4,742 | 4,096 | 53.7% |
| Total | 20,862 | 19,051 | 52.3% |
County races
Two races were decided entirely by Alachua County voters:
- County Commission District 4: Ken Cornell, a Democrat, won with 73,104 votes, or 74.6%. Dewayne Baines, with no party affiliation, had 24,874, or 25.4%.
- School Board District 1: Hunter Miller won with 55,160 votes, or 58.8%. Janine Plavac had 38,620, or 41.2%. School Board races are nonpartisan.
Both seats are elected countywide, so every county voter could vote in both races.
Other cities
- High Springs, about 20 miles northwest, elected two city commissioners. Andrew Miller won Seat 1 with 1,633 votes, or 56.6%, over Timothy “Timmy” Guinn Jr. Ross Ambrose won Seat 2 with 1,611 votes, or 55.1%, over Gigi Buigas.
- Archer, about 15 miles southwest, passed all four of its charter amendments. Each won between 66.6% and 72.3% of the vote.
How Alachua County voted on state questions
Alachua County voters rejected all three proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution. These are the county’s figures only. The amendments are decided by the statewide vote, and each needs 60% to pass. The Florida Division of Elections’ results site had not posted 2026 general election results when we checked Wednesday morning.
| Amendment, as the ballot lists it | Yes in Alachua County | No in Alachua County |
|---|---|---|
| No. 1, Article III, Section 19 | 28.9% | 71.1% |
| No. 2, Article VII, Section 3 | 43.1% | 56.9% |
| No. 3, Article VII, Sections 4, 6 and 9 | 45.4% | 54.6% |
Six appeals court and Supreme Court judges were on the ballot for merit retention. County voters voted no on five of them and yes on one. Those questions are also decided by the wider vote, not by the county alone.
In the statewide races, Alachua County backed the Democratic candidate by roughly two to one. The county gave David Jolly 65.9% for governor and Angie Nixon 66.1% for U.S. Senate. In the 3rd Congressional District, which takes in the county, Seth Harp had 65.0% of the county’s vote to 32.9% for U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack. Those races are decided across the state or the district.
Only part of state House District 10 is in Alachua County. In the county’s 13 precincts in the district, Republican Marshall Rawson had 9,401 votes to 9,032 for Democrat Merrillee Malwitz Jipson. The county’s count alone does not decide that race.
Turnout
Of 166,910 registered voters in Alachua County, 105,976 cast a ballot. That is a turnout of 63.5%.
What it means for you
- If a Gainesville commission seat falls vacant, you will no longer get a special election. The remaining commissioners will appoint a replacement, and voters choose at the next regular city election if the vacancy comes early enough in the term.
- Results are unofficial. Provisional ballots and any remaining review by the canvassing board can still change the totals slightly. The Supervisor of Elections posts certified results on the same results page.
- Gainesville’s regular city elections are held with the statewide primary in August of even years, under the city charter. No commission seats were on this ballot.
Our voting guide has the elections office’s contact details. The commission’s members are listed on our who to call at City Hall page.
This newsroom takes no position on candidates or ballot measures.
Have your say