News Collaborative of Central Florida releases first-ever Voter Guide ahead of 2026 primary election

News-Gazette joins six local news partners to provide voters with nonpartisan candidate information ahead of Aug. 18 primary election

  • The voter guide provides a nonpartisan overview of where candidates running city, county, state, U.S. federal and judicial offices, and where they stand on a variety of issues important to voters in Osceola County.
    The voter guide provides a nonpartisan overview of where candidates running city, county, state, U.S. federal and judicial offices, and where they stand on a variety of issues important to voters in Osceola County.

    For the first time, and in coordination with six other area media outlets, the Osceola News-Gazette has launched its 2026 voter guide as part of the News Collaborative of Central Florida (NCCF), a collective of independent local news outlets and aligned partners working toward a more informed and engaged Central Florida.

    Created in partnership with Central Florida Public Media, WKMG-News 6, the Orlando Sentinel, Winter Park Voice, VoxPopuli of West Orange and Oviedo Community News, the voter guide provides a nonpartisan overview of where candidates running city, county, state, U.S. federal and judicial offices, and where they stand on a variety of issues important to voters in Osceola County.

    Readers can access the Osceola-centered version of 2026 voter guide at https://www.aroundosceola.com/news/voting-central-florida-2026. 

    “This will be the most comprehensive candidate guide that News-Gazette readers will have access to in the better part of a generation,” ON-G Editor Ken Jackson said. “While we take pride in delivering information about candidates who will serve in St. Cloud and Kissimmee, to be able to provide the same about those heading to Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., thanks to our Collaborative partners, is a real coup for us.

    “We hope readers will then be more-informed voters when they head to the polls to cast ballots in some very important local, state and federal races in August.”

    By working together, the seven local news organizations were able to expand election coverage beyond what any one newsroom could accomplish independently. Through a shared candidate questionnaire and coordinated reporting effort, NCCF members were able to cover more races across Central Florida, giving voters greater access to reliable, nonpartisan information before casting their ballots.

    Candidates were invited to respond to a standardized questionnaire developed in collaboration by the seven NCCF newsrooms. If a candidate did not respond, that is noted in the guide, and when possible, publicly available information from campaign websites or social media is included.

    Ahead of the Aug. 18 primary election day, early voting begins in Osceola County on Friday, Aug. 7. 

    The voter guide is the latest initiative from NCCF, which was established following the 2024 Central Florida Journalism Ecosystem Summit. In 2025, NCCF members jointly reported on the local impacts of Florida’s Unauthorized Public Camping and Public Sleeping law, producing more than 100 stories. Earlier this year, NCCF announced its new editorial focus would be the 2026 mid-term elections. 

    The News Collaborative grew out of the Central Florida Journalism Ecosystem Summit, created in 2024 by Central Florida Public Media, Central Florida Foundation and Oviedo Community News.