If you ask about local politics in Gainesville and Alachua County, many will likely describe the area as a “blue dot in a sea of red.”
Although Alachua County has consistently voted Democratic for decades, the label does not fully capture its diverse political landscape. The county is home to passionate organizations that fight to make their voices heard, from public comment at commission meetings to protests along University Avenue.
How can students vote in local elections?
If you’re new to Gainesville and Alachua County, the first thing you can do is update your voter registration. Students who are U.S. citizens can register to vote in Alachua County, even if they’re from another county, state or country.
For students and those living near campus, voters can cast an early ballot at UF’s Reitz Union during the county’s designated early voting period.
To register or update their voter registration, residents must be at least 18 years old and live in Alachua County. Voters can register online and in person throughout the county. Voter registration sites on campus include the UF Dean of Students Office and the Reitz Union UF Student Government Office.
Voter registration for the 2026 primary election has closed. Voters can still register for the Nov. 3 general election until Oct. 5.
City and county commission — what’s the difference?
The Gainesville City Commission and Alachua County Commission are the governing bodies for the city and county. Each commission is made up of elected commissioners who work together to set policy, approve budgets and make decisions on issues impacting their communities.
The city commission is made up of seven commissioners who represent the city’s residents. Four of the commissioners represent geographic districts, two serve the entire city and one is the mayor. Harvey Ward is the city’s current mayor, although his seat is up for election Aug. 18.
The commission typically meets on the first and third Thursday of each month, though meetings may be canceled or rescheduled. Regular meetings are held in the City Commission Auditorium on the first floor of City Hall from 10 a.m. to roughly 10 p.m., with meetings split into morning, afternoon and evening sessions.
Public comment is an opportunity for residents to speak directly to commissioners on agenda items or general issues.
During public comment, residents have three minutes to address the commission on an issue or agenda item of their choosing. Residents can attend in person, submit comments online by emailing citycomm@gainesvillefl.gov or send a letter to the city clerk.
The Alachua County Commission operates similarly to the city commission but includes eight other cities and towns outside of Gainesville.
The county commission is made up of five commissioners who represent their own geographic districts. County commission meetings are typically held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. Meetings are at the Jack Durrance Auditorium on the second floor of the Alachua County Administration Building.
Residents can speak at public comment by filling out an in-person speaker card or calling in during general public comment around noon.
The city and county commission meetings are also livestreamed online.
What are some organizations students can get involved with?
Gainesville and Alachua County have no shortage of political and activist organizations to get involved with on and off campus. Many of these organizations host events, monthly meetings and candidate forums for upcoming elections.
Alachua County Democrats
The Alachua County Democratic Party, the county’s local branch, works closely with Democratic candidates and voters year-round to support the party’s platform locally.
The organization represents 87,000 Democrats in the county.
The organization also works closely with UF College Democrats, the party’s on-campus branch. The campus branch hosts bi-weekly meetings, according to its website. Official dates have not yet been listed.
The Alachua County Democratic Party also hosts meetings twice a month. Its general meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Lifesouth Community Blood Center. The organization also has monthly meetings to discuss budgets, vote on its stance on policies and share campaign materials. These meetings are only open to registered Democrats.
The organization also hosts events like breakfast with the mayor, a once-a-month opportunity to meet Ward and discuss local issues.
Outside of events and meetings, the organization also offers several volunteer and intern opportunities, such as phone banking and door-to-door canvassing every weekend ahead of the November election.
Taylor Murphy, the vice chair of the Alachua County Democratic Party, said even if students only live in Gainesville for four years, it's important for them to know their elected officials and get involved in local policy.
“Politics impacts everybody, whether we want it to or not,” she said. “The more that someone understands what's going on and starts to build their own personal power within the political realm locally is incredibly important.”
Alachua County Republicans
The Alachua County Republicans is a local branch of the Republican Party that works to support party missions and prepare candidates for office.
Other local Republican organizations include the Republican Party of Florida and UF College Republicans.
UF College Republicans was previously forced to disband after the statewide organization found it in defiance of its values, including reportedly making “antisemetic gestures.”
In an email to The Alligator, a spokesperson for the organization said its weekly Tuesday meetings will resume in the Fall, though the organization did not state if it will reactivate under new leadership.
The Alachua County Republican Party hosts monthly meetings at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month at Happy Homes Inc. Residents can visit the Alachua County Republican Party office near Santa Fe College to pick up yard signs and learn more about canvassing and phone banking opportunities.
Outside of meetings, residents can get involved through events and candidate forums. The organization plans to host a fundraising event in October, according to Tim Marden, the chairman of the Alachua County Republican Party and mayor of Newberry.
Marden said students and residents interested in learning more about the organization can attend meetings and contact its office without worrying about committing to membership. He added becoming informed about local government and understanding the difference between state, county and city politics is important.
“It means more from a political standpoint what you do locally than what you do on a national level,” Marden said. “There are a lot of different roles for different government entities based on what level they are. It's important to understand where you can make the most impact, and I think that’s locally.”
Planned Parenthood Generation Action at UF
Sonja Wangensteen, a 21-year-old UF applied physiology and kinesiology senior and the president of Planned Parenthood Generation Action at UF, began her journey in local activism and politics when she was a freshman by joining Planned Parenthood Generation Action, she said. The student-run organization supports Planned Parenthood’s mission and advocates for reproductive health at UF.
“If you're thinking about it, if you're curious about it, just dip your toes in,” Wangensteen said. “I was curious about it as a freshman, and I found such a great community with this organization. PPGA is a fun organization because it's really not for one type of major or career path. It's for everyone.”
The chapter is one of more than 350 Planned Parenthood Generative Action campus groups across the country. The organization provides resources about reproductive and sexual health. In 2024, it launched UF Period Packs and the Brown Bag Project, which provide free menstrual products and contraceptives across campus.
The organization has helped launch 12 on-campus dispensers stocked with free menstrual products, which volunteers refill each week. Students can also order contraceptives online to have Plan B, condoms and pregnancy tests delivered to any of six campus pickup locations.
The organization also hosts several events each semester, including sexual wellness kit-packing events, medical professional panels and “Condom Crawls,” during which volunteers hand out free condoms in downtown Gainesville.
Outside of events, the organization hosts one monthly meeting and two social events each month.
The organization is still finalizing its Fall schedule, Wangensteen said, and dates for monthly meetings and event opportunities have not been decided yet.
The Alachua County Labor Coalition
The Alachua County Labor Coalition is a member-driven organization that supports working people and their families throughout the county. The organization includes members, labor unions and over 20 member organizations.
Founded in 1999 in response to local labor movements, the coalition advocates for health care equality, housing affordability and workers’ rights.
The grassroots coalition works on initiatives including the Living Wage Campaign for Alachua County, Safe and Affordable Housing for All and Evictions Task Force. It’s also advocated for several policies in Alachua County, such as the county’s Wage Theft Ordinance, which gives workers a process to recover unpaid wages from their employers.
The coalition hosts monthly meetings at 6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the Emmanuel Mennonite Church. Annual membership costs $25 for residents and $10 for students.
The coalition offers several resources, petitions, meeting dates and volunteer opportunities on its website. It also publishes a newsletter with updates on upcoming meetings and other activities.
Bobby Mermer, the coordinator of the Alachua County Labor Coalition, said volunteers can get involved at their own pace and shouldn’t be intimidated by the commitment.
In addition to an education, he said, many students leave Gainesville with a broader perspective on civic and community engagement because of the city’s political culture.
“You come here to learn at the best public university in the state of Florida, and you're going to leave highly educated,” Mermer said. "But sometimes new students don't realize that Gainesville is also an incredibly politically active community, more so than any other place I lived. So in a lot of ways, the non-campus community is also a place of education, and you can learn how enriching civic life can be.”
Contact Olivia Lofaso at olofaso@alligator.org. Follow her on X @OLofaso77652.
Olivia Lofaso is a third-year journalism student and the Summer 2026 city/county commission reporter. She previously worked as a contributing writer at The Alligator. In her free time she enjoys visiting art museums and solving crosswords.
