Here's the reality that catches first-time campaigns off guard: in Florida, a huge share of votes are cast before election day. Mail ballots arrive weeks early, and early-voting sites open days before. If your signs and mailers peak on November 3, you've missed the voters who already decided in October. Here's how to time print for how Floridians actually vote.

The Election Is a Season, Not a Day

Vote-by-mail ballots land in mailboxes weeks before the official date, and many voters fill them out the day they arrive. Early-voting locations open a week or more ahead. Practically, this means your persuasion window closes far earlier than the calendar suggests — your materials need to be fully working before ballots drop, not as they're counted.

Time Your Mail to Beat the Ballot

Your EDDM mailers should hit mailboxes just before or right as ballots arrive, so your message is fresh when a voter sits down to mark their choices. That means printing and dropping at the post office with enough lead time for USPS processing — plan a couple of weeks of runway.

Signs Up Before Early Voting Opens

Yard signs do their name-recognition work over weeks, so they need to be planted well before early voting begins — not the weekend before election day. Get your yard signs in the ground early so they've built familiarity by the time the first ballots are marked.

Refresh for the Final Push

Keep a reserve for the last stretch: replacement signs for any that were lost, a final palm card restock with early-voting details, and "Vote Here" signage for polling places. The campaign that stays visible from first ballot to last vote wins the turnout race.