Florida Labor Letter – Hurricane Resources & Mail-in Ballots (Week of 10/9)

Daniel Diaz |

Welcome to another edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 10/9. Before we get into this week’s issue, a quick word on the storm currently set to impact Florida this weekend:

Hurricane Isaias Resources

Photo Credit: NOAA

We wanted to take a brief moment at the top to mention the incoming storm, Hurricane Isaias (EEH-sah-EEH-ess), which is set to make landfall with and through Florida’s Gulf Coast this weekend. As of early Friday afternoon, Hurricane Isaias is located about 175 miles south of Pensacola, moving north-northeast at just over 15 mph. Maximum sustained winds are at the time of writing around 120 mph, pushing Isaias into being classified as Category 3 Hurricane. As a result, we urge our brothers, sisters, and kin in the region to take safe shelter through this weekend, and we ask our siblings statewide to put them in your thoughts.

As our families prepare and endure this weekend, we also wanted to direct you to several important Florida Government resources and services for those in Hurricane impacted parts of the state. These have been collected and summarized helpfully courtesy of The Florida Channel, where you can also watch the very latest storm updates from the Governor and Florida Division of Emergency Management as soon as they roll in:

🗳️Electoral News

Make a Plan for Mail in Ballots and Early Voting!

Photo Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images North America via The Orlando Sentinel

With the last day to register to vote in this election being this past Monday, the first important voter deadline of the November election has passed, but there are more important ones on the horizon!

Over the last week-and-a-half, mail ballots have gone out to voters across the state of Florida, eager to be filled and properly returned. If you were expecting a mail ballot and it has not yet arrived, you may re-request one from your county’s Supervisor of Elections by no later than 5pm on October 22nd per state law.

From that point forward, a returned and filled mail-in ballot must be received, regardless of postmark, by the Supervisor of Elections’ office no later than 7:00 pm (local time) on Election Day. Courtesy the hard work, efficiency, and dedication of our letter carriers and postal workers, we of course encourage you to return your ballot by mail via the U.S Postal Service and its union workforce to ensure its safe delivery!

As you’ve likely seen in our important dates section, the state of Florida requires early voting be made available in every county during the mandatory period of October 24th-31st. That said, some Florida counties opt to add additional early voting days, to which our siblings over at the Florida Education Association went ahead and detailed in this lovely graphic this week, which you can find and support on their Facebook Page. Thank you to our teachers!

✊Solidarity Spotlight

Unite Here & Central Florida Featurette For Canvassing!

Photo Credit: Unite Here

This week, Central Florida’s UNITE HERE 737 & 362 received a featured story in Florida Politics for their ongoing work as part of the Central Florida AFL-CIO‘s ongoing massive mobilization effort for Labor 2026.

After having knocked on nearly 12,000 doors in the region for the Florida Primary, over 30 full time workers, volunteers and more have been hard at work seeking to top that number with a goal of 30,000 doors before election day. In highlighting the value of a face to face interaction during campaign season, UNITE Here’s 737’s own Ella Wood told reporters:

“When people see a union member come to their door … or someone who can say, ‘I work for this hourly wage. I know what it’s like to struggle. We need to change. That carries some real credibility and authority.”

You can read the full story here!

🗓️On the Horizon

The closer we get to November, the more and more opportunities we have to make a difference in our communities. We are putting on events to make sure you are not just making a plan to vote, but are well equipped to spread the word on our Labor 2026 slate of candidates and more. As always, staying tuned to our FL AFL-CIO Mobilize to allows you to see the latest ways you can get involved in local actions, canvassing efforts, and more! See below for some important dates and visit Mobilize for the full list and breakdown!

  • Statewide
    • Important GENERAL Election Dates!
      • The primaries are over! On to the general! Wherever you are on the aisle, you should know these important election dates from the Florida Division of Elections:
        • Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to UOCAVA voters: September 19, 2026
        • Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to domestic voters:  September 24 2026 – October 1, 2026
        • Deadline to register to vote:  October 5, 2026
        • Deadline to request that ballot be mailed: October 22, 2026 <– YOU ARE HERE
        • Early voting period (mandatory period):  October 24 – 31, 2026
        • Election Day:  November 3, 2026
  • Digital
    • (EVERY WEEK) Tuesday – Thursday: Virtual Phone Bank for Labor Endorsed Candidates + No on 3
      • Join us calling union members and their families to learn about the issues they’re facing in an increasingly costly state and educate them about the pro-working-family candidates that the Florida’s unions have endorsed in November. With shifts available every Tuesday-Thursday and no prior experience required, this is an excellent and easily accessible way to get involved no matter where you are in the state.
      • All you need is a phone, laptop, computer, or tablet! Click the link above to sign up!
    • October 12th: Labor 2026 All Hands on Deck @ 6:00PM
      • Every Monday from now until November, join your FL AFL-CIO family for a Labor 2026 All Hands on Deck call. Receive the latest updates from the campaign front lines, share in victories and stories, as well as hear from some of our Labor Endorsed Candidates about your direct impact on their campaign! This Monday October 12th, look forward to talking about the state of the race and more with special guest attendee Emily Gregory, whose FL AFL-CIO Endorsed Candidacy is running for re-election in HD 87 after her national news worthy upset in Palm Beach county! Join by attending the meeting via this zoom link.
    • October 20th: Labor Statewide Town Hall 3 @ 7:00PM
      • This final Labor Town Hall in our ongoing series with the Florida Education Association brings our working families together to have a discussion and a Q&A with one final and important candidate on the Labor 2026 ticket: the FL AFL-CIO Endorsed Gubernatorial Candidate David Jolly
      • Union members from all industries in Florida are invited to attend, ask questions of David Jolly and discuss how we can create the change we need statewide. Register at the link above!
    • First Monday of every Month: FLARA Monthly Meetings
      • The Florida Alliance of Retired Americans (FLARA) invites any and all to attend their monthly zoom meetings. FLARA meets on the first Friday of every month at 10 AM EST, and features guest speakers and relevant information for retirees from national and state governments as well as important information on demonstrations, partner activities, etc.
      • Those interested in attending FLARA meetings should contact tammy@flara.org in order to get the monthly invitation.
  • Regional (By CLC)

🛠️Business Board

Labor Votes Election Trainings from the National AFL-CIO

ELECTION TRAININGS: You are the tip of our spear! Keep your edge this election as you campaign by continuing your education! Here are some training opportunities provided by the National AFL-CIO to help take action and prepare without leaving your home or office.

Resources to Learn More About Amendment 3!

Amendment 3 is one of the most important issues on the November Ballot, with stakes both actually and unfortunately as high as the fate of our local government’s ability to provide basic public services and jobs. That is why the Florida AFL-CIO has partnered with a numbered of organizations in joining the bipartisan Save our Services Coalition against this dangerous amendment.

With an issue as complex as property taxes, it can get a bit confusing, and the way the amendment is written does no favors to Florida’s voters, which is why education on the issue matters most. Resources to learn more about Amendment 3 and it’s impacts, like the above report on how the amendment would eliminate jobs can be found on sosfl.org.

📸Bonus Bulletin

Canvassing 🤝 Trick or Treating: October door-knocking traditions

Photo Credit: Trevor Sweet

As the door knocking continues across Florida, we are gently reminded by the growing number of skeletons, ghouls, and monsters adorning doorsteps that we’re not the only things that come knocking in October. The real question is what is scarier, a freakish creature of the night coming to suck your blood, or another two to four years without change? All I know is one deserves a candy, and one definitely deserves a rock…

That concludes this week’s roundup! Stay safe this weekend and thank you for reading. As always, In Solidarity!

Got any tips, actions, or messages you’d like to see in this email?

Please email Daniel Diaz at ddiaz@flaflcio.org

Menu