Live coverage: Latest updates on the 2024 Florida general election

Rep. Susan Plasencia holds razor-thin lead over Democratic challenger

Republican state Rep. Susan Plasencia is leading in her bid for reelection against Democrat Nate Douglas in House District 37 with 50.74% of the vote as of 12:04 a.m. 

According to the Florida Department of State, Orange County has not completed counting its vote-by-mail ballots.

Rep. Paula Stark holds tight lead in Central Florida race

Incumbent Republican Rep. Paula Stark leads in a tight race in HD 47, which consists of Orange and Osceola counties, with 50.97% of the vote. The margin between her and opponent Maria Revelles is 1,484 votes, according to unofficial results from the state. 

According to the Florida Department of State, Orange County has not completed counting its vote-by-mail ballots.

Republican Kiyan Michael cruises to second term by more than 20%

Republican Rep. Kiyan Michael easily earned her reelection in a northeast Florida House district against newcomer Rachel Grage, with the incumbent winning by more than 20%, earning 60.92% of voters with 27 of 28 precincts reporting. 

The Duval district has about 22,000 more Republicans than Democrats. Michael won the seat in 2022 uncontested. 

Michael has advocated for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ immigration initiatives, including cosponsoring a bill that would make a felon of anyone who “knowingly and willfully” transports an individual illegally into Florida and a measure that requires businesses to verify the immigration status of its employees. 

Her campaign website focuses on “the radical left,” and warns, “Our children are under attack by those who want to indoctrinate rather than educate.”

Michael’s platform explicitly calls for support of law enforcement, seniors, veterans, “core family values” and has sharp stances on firmer immigration policies. 

She lives in Jacksonville and will start her second term.

Right to hunt and fish added to Florida Constitution with nearly 70% approval

Florida voters approved Amendment 2, enshrining the right to hunt and fish in the state’s Constitution.

Amendment 2 received 67% approval, well over the 60% threshold. Although it was not one of the most talked about amendments this year, it caused division within conservationists. The amendment protects the right to fish and hunt, including using traditional methods.

Backers of Amendment 2 said it was necessary because other states have considered banning hunting and fishing. The No on 2 campaign argued the phrase “traditional methods” included trophy hunting using methods such as body-crushing traps and strangling snares. 

“Today, Florida voters sent a message that they won’t stand for attacks against our sporting heritage. This is a win for Florida’s anglers and hunters, whose rights are now protected unlike so many in this country,” wrote T. Roosevelt Action’s director Luke Hilgemann, in a press release. The group backed the Yes on 2 campaign.  

Nearly every member of the Florida Legislature in 2023 voted for the resolution that placed the measure on the 2024 ballot as a constitutional amendment, with Republicans and Democrats almost completely in unison.

Read our previous coverage of Amendment 2.

Voters approve homestead exemption adjustments with Amendment 5

Floridians decided to shield more of the value of their homes from property taxes under a constitutional amendment, but the measure might mean higher taxes for renters, landlords, and other commercial property owners.

Amendment 5 received 66% support, putting it over the 60% approval threshold. State economists predict the measure will reduce local government tax collections by $22.8 million during the 2025-2026 fiscal year, growing to $111.8 million during the 2028-2029 fiscal year, assuming existing tax rates. 

So, while the homeowners will get to pay less in taxes to local governments, except for those going to schools, cities and towns will have to figure out how to make up for the loss of revenue.

Read out previous coverage of Amendment 5.

Florida school board races will remain nonpartisan on paper

Floridians voted to keep school board races nonpartisan in rejection of the politicization of education in recent years. Amendment 1 received 55% support, falling short of the 60% requirement, meaning that party identification will not appear next to school board candidates’ names on the ballot.

However, since the rise of groups such as Moms for Liberty and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ own involvement in endorsing school board candidates, the local elections have become more partisan. Florida Democrats also endorse school board candidates but the party opposed Amendment 1. 

No-party affiliation voters worried the amendment would further exclude them from primary elections. In Florida primaries for partisan posts, only registered Republicans can vote in a Republican primary, and only registered Democrats can vote in a Democratic primary. 

Read Florida Phoenix’s previous coverage of Amendment 1.

GOP maintains supermajority in the Legislature

Miami Republicans and House Speaker-designate Daniel Perez released a statement late Tuesday night announcing that the GOP has maintained its supermajority in the Florida House of Representatives.

“Tonight, Floridians have returned a historic Republican supermajority to the Florida House of Representatives. Our members, our candidates, and our team at House Campaigns pulled together to bring our conservative message to the voters,” Perez, also chairman of the House Republican Campaign Committee, said in a written statement. 

 “We talked about the issues people cared about, and I know our members will fight every day to deliver results for Floridians. On behalf of all the Republican Members of the Florida House, I congratulate all our candidates. It’s an exciting night, but it’s going to be an even more exceptional two years.”

The Florida Democratic Party announced its Take Back Florida Distinction Initiative, listing 21 seats the party targeted this election in its hope to gain a stronger voice in the Legislature and Congress. The party had hoped to flip five state House seats but failed. It also failed to flip SD 3 from red to blue and defeat Sen. Corey Simon, a Republican who won the seat in 2022.

Public campaign financing will continue, Amendment 6 falls short by 10%

Public financing of statewide elections will continue after voters rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to repeal the program.

Amendment 6 received 50.45% support, falling well short of the 60% requirement. 

Florida is one of 12 states in which candidates can access public funds to run for office. Candidates running for governor, attorney general, chief financial officer, and commissioner of agriculture have access to matching funds if they adhere to spending limits. 

Republicans sought to get rid of the program, calling it a financial burden on taxpayers. However, Floridians for Open Democracy advocated against Amendment 6 because getting rid of public campaign financing would make it harder for candidates who are not wealthy to seek statewide offices. 

To gain access to public funds, people vying for the governor’s office must raise $150,000 and those seeking a Cabinet position must raise $100,000 from small donors.

Read our previous coverage of Amendment 6.

Democrat Debra Tendrich wins open Florida House seat in Palm Beach

Democrat Debra Tendrich clinched the open seat in Palm Beach County, maintaining Florida House District 89 under Dems’ control.

The nonprofit executive won 51% of the votes against Republican Daniel Zapata. Tendrich is succeeding Democrat David Silvers.

This year’s election was the second time Zapata ran for the seat. The private school teacher earned 48.8% of votes this year, higher than the 47.6% support he received in 2022.

Tendrich, founder of Eat Better Live Better, stressed, in an interview with Florida Phoenix, the importance of working across the aisle. She received contributions from the Police Benevolent Association, Ruth’s List, real estate interests, and a firefighters’ PAC. Her nonprofit provides grocery assistance, produce at health care practices, and nutrition education.

The Republican Party of Palm Beach County poured $50,000 into Zapata’s campaign.

Republican Corey Simon defends Senate seat in North Florida

Republican state Sen. Corey Simon defeated Democratic challenger Daryl Parks with 55% of the vote.

The former NFL player secured a second term in the Florida Senate and solidified the GOP’s influence in the North Florida district that was once a Democratic stronghold.

Despite Democrats’ advantage in registered voters in Senate District 3, Parks, a prominent civil rights attorney, couldn’t unseat Simon. The Republican first won the seat when he flipped the district in 2022.

This is the only Senate seat Democrats had targeted to flip, meaning that the party is not likely to gain power in the upper chamber. Likewise, incoming Senate president Ben Albritton told the News Service of Florida that he was willing to spend whatever it took to keep SD 3 red.

Property insurance rose as a prominent issue in this race because the district includes the counties in the Big Bend where three hurricanes tore through in less than two years. Simon floated the idea of tackling the insurance problems by allowing companies to transfer some of their risk to a state-run fund. Meanwhile, Parks advocated for getting rid of the changes the Legislature enacted making it harder to sue insurance companies.

“Though we didn’t get the outcome we were working toward, this campaign was a testament to North Florida’s shared hope for a better future that puts culture wars aside,” Parks wrote in a press release. “I am immensely grateful to everyone who believed in our mission and our vision to put families over politics. Our work doesn’t end here—I am committed to continuing the fight for fair costs, accessible healthcare, and essential freedoms for every person in our community.”

Republican Webster Barnaby keeps House seat

Incumbent Webster Barnaby defended his Volusia County seat in the House, warding off a challenge from Democrat Rosemarie Latham. 

Barnaby, a Republican, grabbed 55.9% of the vote with more than 95% of precincts reporting, earning his third term in the House. 

Barnaby, a pastor, previously served on the Deltona City Commission and campaigned on better public education through increased funding for classrooms and teacher salaries. 

Barnaby won his 2020 bid against Dolores Guzman by 12.4%. He won his 2022 bid against Rick Karl by 19%, although in the primary he defeatedt Elizabeth Fetterhoff by only 30 votes in a recount. 

The representative referred to members of the transgender community as “mutants” and “demons” during a committee meeting in 2023. He is outspoken on imposing abortion restrictions, filing a six-week abortion ban bill in 2021. 

His challenger, Rosemarie Latham, earned 41.3% of the vote.

Byrd: Voter turnout highest in more than 30 years

Secretary of State Cord Byrd said Florida will have its highest percentage of turnout since 1992. 

“We’re the third largest state in the country, and to all of the critics of our election integrity measures who say that it would suppress the vote, tonight’s election, or this election cycle, Florida will reach its highest percentage of turnout since 1992,” Byrd said during a Tuesday evening media availability. “What that proves is that when the voters trust In the process, they turn out.”

In 1992, Florida voted for President George H. W. Bush and passed nine of 10 proposed constitutional amendments, including legislative term limits, the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights, and authority for counties and municipalities to levy a one-cent sales tax, if approved by local voters.

Byrd attributed the speed of announcing results to early canvassing of vote-by-mail and early voting, as opposed to other states, which have projected it could take days to have results. 

“It’s the leadership of the governor and the Legislature to always be looking ahead, never resting on our laurels, always looking to perfect our election code and make it better,” Byrd said, adding that other states should follow Florida’s model.

Special election rematch yields new result as Erika Booth knocks off Tom Keen

Erika Booth took a second run at Tom Keen expecting a different outcome, and she got it. Now an incumbent, Keen beat Booth in a special election in January to represent HD 35, which spans parts of Orange and Osceola counties.

With a presidential race and highly-publicized abortion and marijuana amendments driving turnout, Booth received 52.4% of votes with more than 95% of precincts reporting. Keen had won the special election 51.3%-48.7%.

Booth, a Republican, resigned from the Osceola County School Board to run for this position. She lives in St. Cloud and received an endorsement from Gov. Ron DeSantis in the August primary, where she received 63% of the vote. 

She has taught more than 20 years in the Osceola County School District. 

Booth made limited media appearances in her run and did not respond to requests from the Phoenix to hear her stances on issues. 

She did tell WKMG in Orlando her stance on improving the insurance market in Florida. 

“First we must bring insurance company CEOs to Tallahassee and have them testify under oath as to why there has not yet been rate relief,” Booth told WKMG. “Second we must form a statewide investigative unit to find corruption, fraud, and profiteering and charge individuals involved.”

Booth’s campaign Facebook account advocated for rural lands, the environment, and transportation and property insurance solutions.

“I’m extremely proud of everything we’ve accomplished and deeply honored to have represented this community in the Florida State House,” Keen said in a social media post conceding defeat.

Voters retain two Supreme Court Justices

Florida voters Tuesday night retained two justices of the state Supreme Court. Justice Renatha Francis drew more than 63% support and Justice Meredith Sasso more than 62% approval on the simple question of whether they should continue to serve on the state’s highest court.

Both justices were appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Francis and Sasso both opposed efforts to allow proposed amendments to enshrine abortion rights in the state Constitution and to allow adult recreational use of marijuana for adults. Both justices supported Florida’s six-week abortion ban.

Lindsay Cross survives GOP attempt to flip Pinellas seat

Democratic state Rep. Lindsay Cross won HD 60, surviving a GOP attempt to flip the Pinellas County seat, comprising much of St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park. 

With more than 95% of precincts reporting, Cross captured 53.8% of the vote, winning her first reelection bid after entering the House with an 8% point win two years ago. The area leans Democratic, but was seen as vulnerable, drawing GOP attention. 

She ran against Air Force veteran Ed Montanari, a St. Petersburg City Council member who calls himself a moderate Republican. He had 46.2% of the vote with 91% of precincts reporting. 

Cross’ expertise is the environment, having worked as an environmental science and policy manager for the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and executive director of the Florida Wildlife Corridor. 

Cross was especially outspoken against a state plan to build pickleball courts and hotels on state park grounds earlier this year. 

Amendment 3 comes up short of the 60% required for passage

Fueled by efforts by Gov. Ron DeSantis that included using taxpayer funds to combat the proposal, Florida voters have rejected Amendment 3, the proposed constitutional amendment to legalize recreational cannabis use for adults 21 and older, joining 24 other states.

Andrew Warren loses bid for state attorney; Monique Worrell wins back her job

In one of the most closely observed elections in Florida this year, Hillsborough County Republican State Attorney Suzy Lopez has defeated Democrat Andrew Warren, 53%-47%.

The election results are a bitter blow for Warren, who was elected on a criminal justice reform platform in Hillsborough in 2016 and 2020 but was stunningly suspended by DeSantis in August 2022 for comments he made about not prosecuting certain abortion and transgender rights cases, as well as policies discouraging prosecution of certain low-level crimes.

DeSantis followed up in August 2023 by suspending another progressive state attorney, Orange/Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell, allegedly for being too soft on crime.

However, Worrell on Tuesday defeated the man appointed to replace her, former Orange County Judge Andrew Bain, who ran without a party affiliation. The final results in Florida’s 9th Judicial Circuit race were Worrell with 57%, and Bain with 43%.

Read the full story here.

Rick Scott wins re-election to the U.S. Senate

In the race for U.S. Senate, Republican incumbent Rick Scott has won his most decisive victory since entering state politics 14 years ago, defeating Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell by 13 points, 56%-43%.

Amendment 4 fails to get 60% required for passage

Florida voters declined to protect abortion access in the state constitution, making it the first state to reject such a proposal since Roe v. Wade was overturned. Amendment 4 received 58% approval but needed 60% to pass.

Trump wins Florida

Donald Trump has carried Florida in the presidential election, earning 5,726,068 votes, or 55.9%, against 4,421,019, or 43.2%, for Kamala Harris, the Associated Press reports.

Green Party nominee Jill Stein won 0.4% of the vote and Libertarian Chase Oliver won 0.3%.

“Trump was generally doing better around the state than he did four years ago, including in Miami-Dade County, home to Miami, where he was winning the county with 55% of the vote. He won 46% there in 2020. Trump won Florida by 3 percentage points in 2020 and by a single point in 2016,” the AP reported.

Florida Republicans and Democrats kept the same number of seats in the U.S. House

The Associated Press and Decisions Desk HQ called all 28 Florida U.S. House races. Florida did not change its party makeup in the U.S. House Tuesday, with Republicans maintaining 20 seats and Democrats maintaining eight. 

• CD 1: Republican Incumbent Matt Gaetz wins. 
• CD 2: Republican Incumbent Neal Dunn wins.
• CD 3: Republican incumbent Kat Cammack wins.
• CD 5: Republican incumbent John Rutherford wins.
• CD 6: Republican incumbent Michael Waltz wins.
• CD 7: Republican Incumbent Cory Mills wins.
• CD 8: Republican Mike Haridopolos wins. 
• CD 9: Democratic incumbent Darren Soto wins.
• CD 10: Democratic incumbent Maxwell Frost wins.
• CD 11: Republican incumbent Daniel Webster wins.
• CD 12: Republican incumbent Gus Bilirakis wins. 
• CD 13: Republican incumbent Anna Paulina Luna wins.
• CD 14: Democratic incumbent Kathy Castor wins. 
• CD 15: Republican Incumbent Laurel Lee wins.
• CD 16: Republican incumbent Vern Buchanan wins.
• CD 17: Republican incumbent Greg Steube wins. 
• CD 18: Republican incumbent Scott Franklin. 
• CD 19: Republican incumbent Byron Donalds wins.
• CD 20: Democratic incumbent Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick ran unopposed.
• CD 21: Republican incumbent Brian Mast wins.
• CD 22: Democratic incumbent Lois Frankel wins.
• CD 23: Democratic Incumbent Jared Moskowitz wins. 
• CD 24: Democratic incumbent Frederica Wison wins.
• CD 25: Democratic incumbent Debbie Wasserman Schultz wins.
• CD 26: Republican incumbent Mario Diaz-Baart wins.
• CD 27: Republican incumbent Maria Elvira Salazar wins.
• CD 28: Republican incumbent Carlos Giménez wins.

Anna Paulina Luna wins re-election in CD-13

Anna Paulina Luna, the conservative Republican incumbent in Florida’s 13th Congressional District in Pinellas County, has defeated Democrat Whitney Fox in the Sunshine State’s most closely watched congressional race. With 88% of the vote in, Luna led Democrat Whitney Fox, 55%-45%.

Republicans control 20 of the 28 congressional seats in Florida, and the consensus among political analysts going into Election Day was that none of them would flip to the opposing party. However, Democrats put a lot of energy into boosting Fox, a moderate Democrat.

Luna, 35, is a Southern California native and U.S. Air Force veteran whose endorsement by Donald Trump helped catapult her to the GOP nomination for Congress in 2022. She then defeated Democrat Eric Lynn by 8 percentage points, 53%-45%.

The district has only become redder since then, but Fox, 37, campaigned on a platform that Luna was simply too radical for a district that historically has supported moderate-leaning Republicans and Democrats.          

CD 13 was Democratic-leaning for three election cycles (2016-2022) after the district was redrawn following a Florida Supreme Court decision in 2015. But following the once-in-a-decade redistricting that occurred in 2022, Republicans, under the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis, redrew the district to make it much more GOP-friendly. Fox said last week that despite that reality, she was drawing support from Republicans who were unhappy with Luna’s performance in her first term in Congress.

“It is a Republican district, but I’m happy to say we’ve gotten a lot of support from Republicans, independents and Democrats. … We have talked to many Republicans who are fed up with the fact that Luna – they gave her a shot. She does nothing with her time in Congress except cause chaos, chase culture war headlines, and the facts are in her record. They are looking for a pragmatic leader who’s actually going to Washington to fight for the people of Pinellas County, and that’s what they see in my candidacy.”     

Luna has become a national star among Republicans who love Trump, and she is the cover girl of the latest Maxim magazine. She led the GOP-controlled House to censure California Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff for his actions while chair of the House Intelligence Committee. And she supported the impeachment of President Joe Biden.

She told the Phoenix on Monday that she is eager to go back to Washington to work with a Donald Trump led-White House, and specifically mentioned a bill that she co-sponsored with South Florida Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz called the Student Loan Interest Cap Act, which would improve student loan affordability by establishing a 3% cap on the interest rate of federal student loans.

“I have  a very good relationship with the president, so I’ll be advocating for that,” she said.

Early returns in Hillsborough’s much-watched state attorney race show a tight contest

The first early returns in Hillsborough County show an extremely close race between GOP “incumbent” Suzy Lopez and Democrat Andrew Warren.

Lopez leads Warren 51%-49% in the first returns posted on the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections website. However, these numbers will move, and the concern for Democrats is that they may fall further behind as the Election Day returns begin coming in. Republicans had a much stronger showing at the polls today than did Democrats — these first reports are the early voting and vote-by-mail totals.

Gov. DeSantis suspended Warren in 2022 and appointed Lopez to succeed him. Although a federal judge found that the governor violated Warren’s constitutional rights, he was never reinstated to his position.

Polls close in most of Florida; turnout 78%

Polls closed at 7 p.m. in most Florida counties, although Florida has two time zones and polls in nine counties in the northwestern part of the state remain open until 8 p.m. Eastern Time. As such, the Florida Division of Elections won’t post data until those polls close. However, the Associated Press and the 58 other counties were beginning to post results at 7 p.m. Results from the races can be tracked here. 

Voter turnout this year has already exceeded that of the 2020 General Election. So far, the turnout rate is just more than 78%, according to UF’s Fresh Take Florida. Turnout in 2020 was 77%, according to the division.

First scenes from the Yes on 4 campaign election night watch party

The press has now all been admitted into the Yes on 4 campaign watch party in downtown St. Petersburg (officials don’t want reporters to disclose the actual location so I’m not), as have invited guests. There’s a protocol where we’re actually not allowed to just go up to any member of the public but have to ask permission — one of those affairs.

That’s a way of saying I can’t really tell you what the mood of the crowd is for this monumental proposed constitutional amendment that would repeal the state’s six-week abortion ban and other barriers to abortion access in statutes and ban the government from interfering with access to abortion up to the point of viability. Certainly, the news that Republicans are voting in stronger numbers than Democrats so far today has to be a concern to the supporters, however.

Although the state’s numbers won’t be released until after 8 p.m., individual counties will release their numbers shortly after 7 p.m., and so that will be a first indication of how this measure is doing up and down the state.

Republicans lead in voter turnout so far

More than 10.2 million Floridians have voted in the election as of 4 p.m., with Republicans accounting for 43% of the vote, according to Fresh Take Florida. 

Data gathered by Fresh Take Florida and from the Florida Division of Elections shows that of nearly 5.5 million registered Republicans, 4.4 million, or roughly 80%, have voted. More than 3.2 million Democrats have voted, which is 74% of all Democrats in the state. Nonparty-affiliated and third-party voters make up a quarter of the turnout. 

Hillsborough Democrats in trouble tonight?

As of 2:30 PM this afternoon, Republicans held a roughly 15,000-vote lead over Democrats in Hillsborough County, one of several blue counties in Florida where Democratic participation is down so far today.

As the Phoenix has previously reported, the statewide domination of Republicans over Democrats over the past four years in voter registration is plainly apparent in Hillsborough, where Democrats held a more than 73,000-vote advantage in 2020. Now that lead going into Election Day is only around 5,000. 

Hillary Clinton won the county by 6 points over Donald Trump in 2016 and Joe Biden won it by the same margin over Trump in 2020. If Kamala Harris wins the county this year, it’s not going to be by that large of a spread. 

As a reporter and not a pundit, I won’t offer predictions about what’s going to happen in Hillsborough tonight, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some well-known Democratic incumbents lose. 

The biggest name on the ballot is Andrew Warren, the twice-elected state attorney whom Ron DeSantis shockingly suspended two years ago. He’s going up against Suzy Lopez, appointed by the governor to replace him. She raised more money, and ads slamming Warren’s tenure in office have been shown non-stop seemingly during college and NFL games in the Tampa Bay area for weeks now.

At an event with Rick Scott in Tampa this afternoon, Pinellas Republican U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna pointed to Rocky Rochford, the little-known Republican challenging 18-year Democratic incumbent Rep. Kathy Castor in Florida’s 14th Congressional District, which encompasses much of Hillsborough and a part of Pinellas county. 

“I think the big upset of the night if all goes as planned is, I think Rocky might unseat Kathy Castor,” Luna declared to cheers. 

Considering that Castor has never really been seriously challenged in all of her tenure in Congress, that would be monumental. But it just shows you how (over?) confident Florida Republicans are feeling about their chances up and down the ballot today.

And as is somewhat typical in Democratic Party circles, some Hillsborough Dems are going on social media calling for the ouster of county party chair Ione Townsend — well before anyone knows how the party will fare tonight.

State election website running again

Florida’s voter information lookup website is working again after crashing during the morning and early afternoon. A spokesperson for the Florida Department of State pointed to record-high traffic following reports of the crash.

County websites where voters can see their polling location also appear to work after displaying error messages this morning.

At Tampa stop, Rick Scott takes the opportunity to (again) bash Mitch McConnell

Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott made an appearance in Tampa this afternoon in a giddy press conference with Republicans overflowing with confidence that tonight is going to be a big one for the state GOP.

We’ll have that story posted on the site soon, but I can tell you that I asked Scott that if he does win tonight, what does he think about his chances to capture the GOP Senate leadership position? Scott is considered to be in third place behind Idaho Sen. John Thune and Texas’ John Cornyn in the battle to succeed Mitch McConnell, who has already announced that he will step down following tonight’s election.

Scott used the opportunity to bash McConnell, following reports about a recently published biography of the Kentucky senator in which he bashed Scott for his plan to sunset all federal legislation every five years – originally including Social Security and Medicare. In the book, McConnell reportedly called that plan “laughingly bad.”  

“McConnell basically has been a bully,” Scott said. “And no one had a vote. They want a change. 

“They know that I’m a business guy. If you build a business, you bring everybody along. Everybody’s got to succeed. That’s what has to happen in the House, and that’s what’s gotta happen in the Senate. 

“We all have ideas about what we want to accomplish. We ought to have the opportunity to sell it. If I can’t get 60 votes, that’s my problem. If I don’t get a vote, that’s McConnell and [Democratic Senate Leader Chuck] Schumer’s problem. 

“So, you’re in the same position. Just give us our shot, but if we can’t talk people into it, that’s our mistake. But if our leadership doesn’t give us that chance, that’s wrong. And the fact that McConnell doesn’t help people like Ted Cruz and me with money that is donated to help Republicans, that’s wrong. We should work as a team, it’s a team event. I want Republican mayors and I want Republican sheriffs and I want a Republican state House … because guess what? We believe in the dreams. We’re going to help people fulfill their dreams.

Moody joins call for nonviolence

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has joined with another 40 state and territorial chief law enforcement officers to renounce any violence that might erupt as the nation votes today.

“Regardless of the outcome of Tuesday’s election, we expect that Americans will respond peacefully and we condemn any acts of violence related to the results,” they said in a written statement distributed by the National Association of Attorneys General.

“A peaceful transfer of power is the highest testament to the rule of law, a tradition that stands at the heart of our nation’s stability. As Attorneys General, we affirm our commitment to protect our communities and uphold the democratic principles we serve,” the document continues.

“We call upon every American to vote, participate in civil discourse and, above all, respect the integrity of the democratic process. Let us come together after this election not divided by outcomes but united in our shared commitment to the rule of law and safety of all Americans. Violence has no place in the democratic process; we will exercise our authority to enforce the law against any illegal acts that threaten it.”

Moody, a Republican, has been a loyal follower of Donald Trump, who incited a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to disrupt certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.

Department of State points to record-high traffic amid election website crash

A Florida Department of State spokesperson said the website to look up voter information is experiencing record-high traffic following crashes of precinct lookup tools from the state and county supervisors of elections websites.

“Voting operations have not been impacted in any way. The county Supervisor of Elections’ websites are still operable for any voter to look up their registration status,” the spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement. “The state’s courtesy website is encountering record-high traffic. Any voter having difficulty utilizing the state courtesy lookup web page should go to their county SOE webpage for the same service.”

As of this update, websites of at least four counties (Duval, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry) still displayed error messages for people looking for information about polling locations. The department recommends voters contact their supervisor of elections or call the Division of Elections’ Voter Assistance Hotline at 1.866.308.6739 for help locating their precinct.

Elections chief promises no fast-one on Amendment 4

Florida’s top elections official said Tuesday that he has no intentions of refusing to certify the results of the abortion-access initiative even though the Department of State has raised questions about whether the amendment should have been allowed on the ballot.

“That has not been a conversation that I have been part of and I cannot even think of a scenario that that would play out,” Secretary of State Cord Byrd said when asked about certifying votes for Amendment 4 during an early morning press conference.

Former Florida Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson represents four women from St. Lucie and Taylor counties who claim Amendment 4 lacked the requisite number of signatures to qualify for the ballot. Their allegations in the complaint stem from an Oct. 11 preliminary report from the state’s Office of Elections Crime and Security, which reports to Byrd.

Lawson amended the complaint last week to name as defendants Gov. DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody, and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, based on their roles as members of the state Elections Canvassing Commission. 

Florida is one of 10 states in which abortion access is on the ballot. It is the only one of those states that requires constitutional amendments to pass with 60% approval or more. Colorado, another state with abortion access on the ballot, requires 55% to pass. The eight other states — Arizona, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota  — require greater than 50% approval

Voting rights groups denounce election website problem

The ACLU of Florida and Common Cause are calling out the crash of the online voter information and precinct lookup tools in the state. This morning, the Florida Division of Election and several counties’ supervisor of elections websites displayed error messages for voters trying to access information about where to vote. 

“On the last day to vote in the 2024 General Election, the Florida Division of Elections voter lookup tool is down,” wrote Abdelilah Skhir, senior strategist for the ACLU of Florida, in a press release. 

“The state must make it a priority to correct this issue. Thousands of voters are looking up their voter information and planning where to vote – this is a delay that interrupts their ability to cast their ballot. With hours left until the polls close, we must ensure that every eligible voter in Florida can participate in the democratic process.”

Spokespeople for the Florida Department of State and VR Systems, the website vendor several affected counties use, did not respond to Florida Phoenix’s requests for comment. The Tallahassee company was behind election websites crashing during the primary in August.

Byrd defends decision to keep federal monitors out

Secretary of State Cord Byrd is doubling down on his message that U.S. Department of Justice election monitors won’t be allowed inside Florida’s polling sites.

“We are running the elections. We are very strict on who can enter a polling place. I think that’s for the security of the voters and for the individuals, the poll workers themselves. So we want to make sure that there is an unencumbered, unfettered ability for everyone to vote,” said Byrd,  appointed by Gov. DeSantis to oversee the state’s election process in 2022.

The Department of Justice announced last week it was sending election monitors to 86 counties in 27 states including four Florida counties: Broward, Miami-Dade, Orange, and Osceola. In response, Byrd sent a letter to DOJ officials Friday saying state law lists who’s allowed inside polling sites, and DOJ election monitors aren’t on the list. DOJ monitors help enforce federal statutes protecting the right to vote including the Voting Rights Act.

“They are certainly allowed to come down and observe from outside just like anybody else can. It’s going into the polling location itself, that is the prohibition under Florida law,” Byrd said, adding that he had not received a response from the DOJ.

Although Florida isn’t considered in play for the presidential election, voters are weighing in on high-profile amendments including whether to ban the government from interfering with access to abortion until viability and legalization of marijuana for adults.

Debbie Mucarsel-Powell speaks to the press for the last time before the votes come in

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell just finished a Zoom press conference from her home area in South Florida, where she weighed in on her campaign in which at least via the polls she has remained competitive against GOP incumbent Rick Scott — although Scott has never trailed.

She’s run a race heavily centered from her home county of Miami-Dade, to the extent that the Scott campaign has mocked her on occasion for not traveling out of South Florida. It’s an area that has shifted in its politics, going for Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022, the first time it supported a Republican for governor in two decades. 

Mucarsel-Powell said she hopes people from the region see in her “the story of hope, of what can be achieved in this incredible country.”

And she added: “I’m a Democrat, and I want people to understand that they’ve been targeted with misinformation. Of course I’m not a socialist! Of course it’s the Democrats who don’t support communism.”

Meanwhile, Rick Scott is making three final stops, starting in Jacksonville then going to Orlando and finally Tampa, where he’ll be a little after noon.

You can read more about the Mucarsel-Powell-Rick Scott matchup in a feature we posted on our website last Friday.

Election website problems

Online voter information and precinct lookup tools aren’t working in several counties across Florida. Counties that use VR Systems as a vendor appear to have the problem. The Tallahassee company was behind election websites crashing during the primary in August.

State of play with early voting

As of Monday morning, more than eight million Floridians voted early in-person or through the mail. Republicans took the lead in early votes with 3.5 million, Democrats had 2.6 million, and NPA voters had 1.7 million votes, according to the Florida Division of Elections.

Polls are open

Polls are officially open in Florida until 7 p.m. local time. Preliminary results won’t be available until after 8 p.m. because part of the Panhandle is an hour behind. Happy voting!