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 Over 70,000 people in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties voted yesterday, bringing the total to over a quarter-million in the region that have cast ballots at the polls early since Saturday.

The numbers suggest a lot of people are really anxious to get this voting business behind them. According to an AP report this morning, 1.9 million Floridians, about 16 percent of the electorate, have voted already.

Most of those have cast absentee ballots but about a half million have done it in person, often waiting for hours at early voting sites.

Early voting started over the weekend, and many in south Florida stood in line for hours to cast their ballots.

By Monday, the wait times in Miami Dade hadn't changed much.

Sandy has forced the cancelation of hundreds of flights to and from airports in South Florida.

The storm hit the northeast hard Monday making flying hazardous from Virginia to Massachusetts.

Some voters in Miami Dade waited in line for hours Monday for the opportunity to vote early.

We caught up with some voters in Miami Beach who used the time in line to learn more about the issues on the ballot.

Even though Hurricane Sandy has moved past South Florida, the region's airports continue to feel the storm's effects.

Director of Operations at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Mike Monnemacher, said 152 flights have been canceled at his airport.

"One of our larger markets for this airport is to the Northeast," Monnemacher said. " So, when we're not having any operations into the Washington all the up through Boston area, that's a significant number of aircraft. So, right now we have 35 aircraft that really don't have any place to go."

Under new federal dietary rules, kids in school cafeteria lunch lines will be required to accept a serving of fruit or vegetables. But since there is no corresponding federal power to make them eat it, it’s likely many students will soon be defying their government at lunchtime.

StateImpact education reporter Gina Jordan has been sampling the student opinion of broccoli and peas and stuff:

“I hate them.”

HMS Bounty, a cinematic replica of the ship sailed by Capt. Bligh in a famous 1789 mutiny, has sunk in stormy waters off North Carolina, an apparent casualty of Hurricane Sandy.

The Coast Guard says 14 persons were rescued from lifeboats within sight of the sinking three-masted ship and two others are missing.

Amanda Rubio, 12, remains hospitalized in fair condition with a head injury following a golf cart accident over the weekend. A spokesperson for Senator Marco Rubio says the long term prognosis is positive for the Senator's oldest daughter. 

Remnants of Hurricane Sandy have left us in South Florida with gusty winds, big waves and large swells.

That has resulted in some coastal flooding along the Atlantic seaboard.  And a coastal flood advisory is in effect until 10 a.m. this morning.