ICYMI: @GovRonDeSantis and @AGJamesUthmeier announced the arrests and charges of 20 defendants for election crimes. At the press conference announcing the operation, Secretary of State @CordByrd spoke about election integrity and how the Office of Election Crimes and Security is part of Florida’s election success story. “Every legal vote cast deserves to be defended, which is why all credible allegations of election fraud demand a thorough review,” said Secretary of State Cord Byrd. “The Office of Election Crimes and Security continues to investigate these potential crimes with rigor and impartiality ensuring voters their trust is well-placed.” Read more about the arrests here: dos.fl.gov/offices/election-…

The University of South Florida in Hillsborough County officially welcomed its first class on September 26, 1960. Students began their studies on a former World War II airfield site called Henderson Field. A grand opening ceremony marked the start of classes outside the John and Grace Allen Building. @USouthFlorida became the first major state university planned and built from the ground up in the 20th century. Photo: @FLMemory, floridamemory.com/items/show…

Protecting Your Vote! Florida takes election safety and security seriously. Last year, Florida’s Office of Election Crimes and Security made nearly 900 referrals of potential election fraud to law enforcement leading to multiple arrests and prosecution. Help safeguard Florida elections by reporting potential election fraud. To learn more, visit: dos.fl.gov/offices/election-….

ICYMI

#OTD in 1918, Francis Edward Ormsbee Jr. saved a naval aviator from a plane crash off the coast of Pensacola, earning a Congressional Medal of Honor for this tremendous bravery. Ormsbee saw the crash, landed next to the sinking aircraft, and jumped into the water to free the gunner from the wreckage. He then made numerous attempts to save the pilot, injuring his hands on the twisted metal. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on December 7, 1918. Photo: @FLMemory, floridamemory.com/items/show…

School is officially in! Need an idea for the artwork that is already coming home? Create a custom scrapbook to preserve the artwork, photos, report cards, and important milestones of the school year! Find all the tips and tricks for creating a lifetime keepsake at dos.fl.gov/library-archives/…

Secretary of State @CordByrd was honored to contribute to the Florida edition of The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge outlining the principles and leadership of President Coolidge.

A prominent figure in Florida’s rich citrus history, Gus Hall worked as a crate manufacturer before joining and managing the South Lake Apopka Citrus Growers Association in 1910. For the next 31 years, Hall grew the South Lake Apopka operation into a major facility handling over 640,000 boxes of fruit annually. In 1941, he left South Lake to start the Gus Hall Citrus Fruits Company in Killarney, Florida. Today, these vintage citrus crate labels are collectible pieces of Florida history and part of the @MuseumFLHistory’s Citrus Crate Label Collection. See the collection here: museumoffloridahistory.com/e….

Be Election Ready! General Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. #DYK it is illegal to film or photograph the polling place? Florida laws allow voters to take pictures of their ballot – and only their ballot – in the voting booth. No ballot selfies allowed! To learn more about elections in Florida visit our Division of Elections FAQ page here: dos.fl.gov/elections/contact…

Floridians from all walks of life, both military personnel and civilians, provided tremendous aid during World War II. One unique way civilians gave back was by joining the Aircraft Warning Service, a series of nearly 900 elevated structures which alerted the US Army Air Corps to any adversarial aircraft. In December 1943, civilian spotters correctly identified a previously captured German JU-88 bomber over West Palm Beach. Learn more about this remarkable program here floridamemory.com/items/show…. Photo Credit: - State Archives of Florida, @FLMemory

One of the first European settlement attempts in the United States was Spanish explorer Tristan de Luna's 1559 arrival in Pensacola Bay. De Luna had scouted the area as an optimal place to start a colony and began construction in August. But one month later, the settlement was abandoned following a hurricane, and his troops moved northward. Learn more about the history of @cityofpensacola, and Spanish Colonial Florida, here dos.fl.gov/historical/preser…. Photo: State Archives of Florida/Holland, DC005304B @FLMemory

Florida’s Election’s Process is Transparent Before every election, a county must perform a Logic and Accuracy Test to make sure the ballots are printed correctly, and the voting system is counting votes correctly. These tests are announced and open to the public. To learn more about Florida’s rigorous process, visit the Division of Elections website here: dos.fl.gov/elections/voting-… Protecting Your Vote!

Hispanic Heritage Month Florida’s Spanish colonial heritage began nearly 100 years before Jamestown with Juan Ponce de Leon’s 1513 landing. #DYK Florida was ruled by Spain from 1565 to 1763 during a time historians call the First Spanish Period? After two decades of British rule, Florida entered its Second Spanish Period from 1784 until 1821 when it became a U.S. Territory. Learn more about Spanish rule in Florida here: dos.fl.gov/florida-facts/flo…

The first muster of Spanish militiamen occurred #OTD in 1565. Pedro Menendez assembled a force of 500 soldiers to attack the French at Fort Caroline on the St. John’s River, leaving around 100 ordinary citizens to defend St. Augustine, @CityStAug, against a possible counterattack. While no such assault occurred, this was the first citizen militia in Florida, and in America. Learn more about the site with this historical marker markers.flheritage.com/home/….

The General Election is November 3, 2026, and the deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to military voters is this Saturday, September 19. Be Election Ready! For more information about Florida elections, visit our website: dos.fl.gov/elections/for-vot…

Originally established in 1827 as the Leon Academy, Leon High School is the oldest public high school in Florida. This institution has had many different names throughout its history. The current building was designed in 1936 and dedicated in May 1937. Today, @LeonSchools Leon High School serves nearly 2000 students in grades 9-12. Read this historical marker, markers.flheritage.com/home/…, to learn more about this storied house of learning.

Pensacola Junior College opened its doors #OTD in 1948. As the first public Junior College created by the Florida Legislature, the initial class had 136 students. Today, @PensacolaState College, whose name changed in 2010, serves nearly 10,000 students seeking an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree. Learn more by reading the historical marker here, markers.flheritage.com/home/…