2024 Election Day: As it happened
What you need to know about Election Day in South Florida
📊 Check Florida election results here.
🗣️ Voter turnout was robust on Election Day. Here's what voters had to say.
🇺🇸 Find all of WLRN's previous coverage of the 2024 elections here or scroll below for live updates.
Florida reports 78.7% turnout on Election Day
Nearly 11 million Floridians cast ballots in Tuesday’s elections, with statewide turnout at 78.76%.
That is the highest percentage since 1992.
Statewide turnout was up from 77% during the 2020 presidential election and 75% in 2016.
“When the voters trust in the process, they turn out. They turn out in record numbers. Once again, this election proves that,” said Florida's Secretary of State Cord Byrd.
Nearly half of all votes were cast at early voting sites across the state, with 5.4 million Floridians choosing that option.
Just over three million people voted by mail, while 2.6 million ballots were cast on Election Day.
Miami-Dade voters elect new tax collector and property appraiser
We have some results on two Miami-Dade County races from this week's General Election.
The first is tax collector, which used to be an appointed position. According to unofficial results, Republican Dariel Fernandez won by receiving over 117,000 more votes than his opponent Democrat David Richardson.
The Office of the County Tax Collector collects money from property taxes, business taxes, vehicle registration and renewals and from boat, and hunting and fishing licenses.
The next race is property appraiser. Former Miami mayor Tomás Regalad won with 57% of the votes, according to results.
He defeated Democratic opponent Marisol Zenteno, who works in the appraiser's office as an income evaluation specialist.
Regalado served two terms as Miami's mayor between 2009 and 2017. Before that, he was a long-time local television journalist.
The property appraiser's office is responsible for calculating and setting annual tax bills.
Palm Beach County keeps incumbent mayor, adds two new commissioners
Palm Beach County voters have chosen to keep its mayor and welcome two new members to the county commission.
According to the unofficial results from the Supervisor of Elections Office, current Democratic mayor Maria Sachs is leading the way in the polls with 55% of the votes.
She defeated her Republican opponent John Fischer.
Sachs will also continue representing District 5 on the commission, which includes West Boca and West Delray.
Democrat Joel Flores won the District 3 seat in the Palm Beach County commission and Democrat Bobby Powell Junior will represent District 7.
Key results from Broward races: Levy, Fesik and Grant
Though much of the attention focused on the top of the ballot, last night’s election also decided some crucial local races in Broward County.
In Hollywood, Mayor Josh Levy, first elected in 2016, comfortably won reelection despite a strong challenge from Cat Uden. Uden had received an endorsement from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
In Pompano Beach, Commission district one challenger Audrey Fesik defeated incumbent Andrea McGee, her cousin, who had held the seat since 2018.
Longtime Lauderhill Mayor Ken Thurston stepped down, leaving two current commissioners to vie for his seat. Vice Mayor Lawrence “Jabbow” Martin was defeated by Denise Grant. Grant has served on the commission since 2018, and recently was publicly reprimanded by the city for violating its code of ethics related to misreporting vehicle mileage.
Palm Beach County State Attorney: Alexcia Cox
It appears that Democrat Alexcia Cox will be the next state attorney for Palm Beach County.
According to the unofficial results from the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office, Cox defeated her Republican challenger Sam Stern by more than5,700 votes.
The number of votes does not fall within half of a percent — which would have automatically triggered a recount.
Cox is the first woman and first Black person to serve as the Palm Beach County State Attorney.
She has worked as a prosecutor in the county for over 18 years.
Incumbents win reelection bids in both Broward and Palm Beach counties
The two incumbent sheriffs in Broward and Palm Beach counties comfortably won their respective re-election bids last night.
Palm Beach Sheriff Rick Bradshaw, a Democrat, and his Republican challenger Michael Gauger used to be coworkers before they were political rivals. Gauger was Bradshaw’s top aide for 16 years, but it was Bradshaw who won the job for a record sixth time. Though the margin was closer — about 58% to 42% as of Tuesday night — than Bradshaw's previous victories.
In Broward, the race was a foregone conclusion. Incumbent Democrat Gregory Tony fended off three primary challengers in August and, as preliminary results showed, earned double the votes of independent challenger Charles Whatley.
Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections: Alina Garcia
In Miami-Dade County, voters elected their next supervisor of elections for the first time in over a half-century.
Republican Florida House Rep. Alina Garcia won the race with nearly 56%of the vote.
She had been elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2022.
Previously, candidates were appointed by the county mayor.
Francis, Sasso cruise in retention elections
Florida Supreme Court Justices Renatha Francis and Meredith Sasso easily won merit-retention elections Tuesday, getting more than 60% of the vote.
Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Francis to the Supreme Court in 2022, while Sasso was appointed in 2023.
Under Florida law, Supreme Court justices and appellate-court judges go on the ballot periodically for voters to determine whether they should be retained.
They do not run against other candidates. In Tuesday’s election, 63.2% of voters supported retaining Francis, and 62.4% supported retaining Sasso, according to results posted on the state Division of Elections website.
They were the only Supreme Court justices on the ballot.
Hunting, fishing rights OK’d, partisan school races nixed
Florida voters Tuesday approved two of four ballot measures proposed by the Legislature, putting hunting and fishing rights in the state Constitution and making a property-tax change.
But proposals backed by Republican lawmakers to hold partisan school-board elections and end public financing of political campaigns fell short.
About 67% of voters supported what appeared on the ballot as Amendment 2 and was titled “Right to Fish and Hunt.” Constitutional amendments need support from 60 percent of voters to pass.
Luke Hilgemann, executive director of the International Order of T. Roosevelt and T. Roosevelt Action, which supported Amendment 2, said in a statement that “Florida voters sent a message that they won’t stand for attacks against our sporting heritage.”
“States across the nation can now look to Florida's success as a blueprint for advocacy and action, uniting sportsmen and women to push back against restrictive regulations and safeguard our outdoor way of life,” Hilgemann said.
Read for the full story here.
DeSantis appointee retains seat on Miami-Dade County School Board
Tuesday night’s re-election of an incumbent Miami-Dade school board member and the election of a new school board member will allow conservatives to maintain its five-member majority in the nation's third-largest school district.
Sitting Miami-Dade County School Board member Mary Blanco — who was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis — won reelection to her seat in District 7, which encompasses much of the southwest region of the county, including Kendall and South Dade. She beat political newcomer and tech consultant Maxene "Max" Tuchman by more than 30 percentage points, according to preliminary results.
Joseph "Joe" Geller, a former legislator in the Florida House of Representatives and North Bay Village, won his first race for school board against former school board member Martin Karp, according to preliminary results. Both ran to replace Lucia Baez-Geller who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in U.S. House District 27.
In the last four years, school boards statewide have become a battleground for partisan culture wars, with political appointees and elected board members battle it out along party lines.
Miami-Dade is Florida's largest school district.
Read the full story here.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis fends off challengers to win election
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis won re-election Tuesday night in a closer-than-expected race.
Trantalis fended off four challenges and secured 38 percent of the vote. The next closest challenger, Barbara Anne Stern, hauled in around 33 percent, according to preliminary election results.
Trantalis significantly out fundraised his opponents — though the closer race may also in part be attributed to vote-splitting: Kenneth Cooper and Jim Lewis got 14 percent.
Trantalis' win means that Fort Lauderdale residents can expect the mayor to continue his fight against a bridge for the rail line that crosses through downtown, one of his key campaign promises.
Incumbent sheriffs in Broward, Palm Beach cruise to election victory
Palm Beach Sheriff Rick Bradshaw, a Democrat, and his Republican challenger Michael Gauger used to be coworkers before they were political rivals.
Gauger was Bradshaw’s top aide for 16 years, but it was Bradshaw who won the job for a record sixth time on Tuesday night. Though the margin was closer than Bradshaw's previous victories. He led Gauger 58% to 42%, according to the latest returns.
In Broward, the race was a foregone conclusion. Incumbent Democrat Gregory Tony fended off three primary challengers in August — and, as preliminary results showed, earned double the votes of Independent challenger Charles Whatley, according to the latest returns.
Keys voters elect Sherri Hodies for Supervisor of Elections
One of the most contentious Florida Keys races came to a close Tuesday as voters elected Republican Sherri Hodies over Democrat Ron Saunders to replace longtime Supervisor of Elections Joyce Griffin.
Griffin, a Democrat, decided to step down after nearly four decades working for the elections office when Florida legislators began making changes to election laws. Since 2021, Florida has added several new rules over mail-in and early voting. They included new ID requirements, changes to how many ballots a person can turn in on behalf of someone else and limiting after-hours access to drop boxes.
Now, Hodies will step in to lead the county office. She gave an emotional acceptance speech Tuesday night that was broadcast via Keys Talk Radio and Monroe County TV.
“I told all of you that integrity and transparency is what I’m about, and that is what I promised, and I will never let you down,” Hodies said. “I pledge to fulfill my promise to all of you, the people of the Florida Keys.”
Read the full story here.
Broward voters strongly approve watchdog for county's public schools
Broward voters made a momentous referendum decision Tuesday night to put their corruption-checkered public school district under the expanded scrutiny of the county's inspector general.
Broward County’s Office of the Inspector General has investigative authority over countywide elected officials and appointed officials. Now, thanks to County Referendum 2 passing overwhelmingly — by a 68% to 32% margin — that watchdog eye will include the Broward school board, the superintendent and any district employees.
The result from voters is likely a response to a wave of school board scandals over the past few years.
Read the full story here.
Cordero-Stutz decisively wins Miami-Dade's first sheriff race in over 60 years
For the first time in six decades, there's a new sheriff in Miami-Dade County: Rosie Cordero-Stutz.
Cordero-Stutz, a Republican, defeated Democrat James Reyes by a convincing 55% to 44% margin Tuesday night, according to the latest results. She will take office on January 7, 2025, in charge of policing for all of Miami-Dade County.
Her election marks the first time since the early 1960s that Miami-Dade has an elected sheriff. For the past six decades, the county's law enforcement chief has been an appointed police director. But a 2018 state ballot initiative mandated that all Florida counties now elect sheriffs as well as several other government posts.
As Sheriff, Cordero-Stutz will also be a significantly more powerful and autonomous law enforcement boss than Miami-Dade's police directors, who have been under the oversight of county commissioners.
At her campaign victory party at the EB Hotel in Miami Springs, Cordero-Stutz told supporters:
"To all the citizens of Miami-Dade, the message is clear: When it comes to the importance of law and order, Miami-Dade stands strong…make no mistake. My commitment is exclusively to the city and the protection of the residents of Miami-Dade County."
Read the full story here.
Trump is the first Republican candidate to win Miami-Dade County since 1988
MIAMI — Former President Donald Trump won Miami-Dade County, Florida, on Tuesday, unofficial election results show, solidifying the remarkable blue-to-red swing of the state’s most populous county.
Miami-Dade used to be where Democrats ran up their numbers, turning out liberal voters, many of whom had moved there from New York City and elsewhere in the Northeast. Hillary Clinton won the county by 30 percentage points in 2016.
But as Florida has transformed from a battleground state into one that votes more reliably Republican, Miami-Dade, too, has changed. Hispanics, who had appeared to be leaning Democratic in the 2008 and 2012 elections, started shifting right. In 2020, President Joe Biden won the county by 7 points.
On Tuesday, Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris, becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to win Miami-Dade since George H.W. Bush in 1988. Trump also won Florida, according to The Associated Press. He was on track to win both Miami-Dade County and Florida by double digits.
Republicans had already flipped Miami-Dade in 2022, when Gov. Ron DeSantis beat Charlie Crist, a former governor and member of the U.S. House of Representatives, by more than 11 points. But Crist was a former Republican who stirred little excitement among Democrats in a low turnout midterm election.
This year’s presidential election appeared less favorable for Republicans in the county. But Harris’ campaign and national Democrats spent very little money in Florida, seeing the expensive state as a lost cause. That left down-ballot Democrats to rely on the limited resources of the Florida Democratic Party, and on their own modest advertising and voter turnout efforts.
Read the full story here.
Florida abortion rights ballot measure falls short of 60% requirement, making it first to fail
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Florida voters Tuesday rejected creating a constitutional right to abortion, a political win for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that will keep in place the state’s ban on most abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy.
It’s the first ballot measure victory for abortion opponents in any state since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, a decision that ended the nationwide right to abortion and opened the door to bans in most GOP-controlled states, protections in Democrat-dominated ones and new political and legal battles across the country.
The Florida measure failed to clear the required 60% voter approval threshold to pass constitutional amendments in Florida. Most states require a simple majority.
The defeat makes permanent a shift in the Southern abortion landscape that began when the state’s six-week ban took effect in May. That removed Florida as a destination for abortion for many women from nearby states with deeper bans and also led to far more women from the state traveling to obtain abortion. The nearest states with looser restrictions are North Carolina and Virginia — hundreds of miles away.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the national anti-abortion group SBA Pro-Life America, said in a statement that the result is “a momentous victory for life in Florida and for our entire country,” praising DeSantis for leading the charge against the measure.
Read the full story here.
Florida voters reject a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana
Florida voters rejected a ballot measure that would have legalized recreational marijuana for adults at least 21 years old and allowed them to possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana.
It failed to obtain the required 60% threshold at a time when the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is making moves to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. Florida’s Republican-dominated government has a lengthy history of opposing marijuana legalization.
Read the full story here.
U.S. House District 23: Democrat Jared Moskowitz wins reelection
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Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Florida on Tuesday.
Most of the district is in Broward County, though it also overlaps with Palm Beach County.
The first-term Democrat previously served in the state House and as director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
He defeated Republican Joe Kaufman to hold on to his seat.
The Associated Press declared Moskowitz the winner at 8:39 p.m. EST.
Donald Trump wins Florida
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Donald Trump won Florida on Tuesday for the third consecutive election, earning the state's 30 electoral votes.
The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 8:01 p.m. EST.
Once a crucial battleground state, Florida has been drifting toward the Republican Party in recent years.
A Democratic presidential nominee has not won the state since Barack Obama carried it in 2012.
Meanwhile, Trump grew his margin of victory in his adopted home state between 2016 and 2020.
Republican Rick Scott wins reelection to U.S. Senate from Florida
Republican incumbent Sen. Rick Scott will return to his U.S. Senate seat after coasting to victory over Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell on Tuesday night in an election that will help secure his party's control of the Senate.
The Associated Press called the race for Scott at 8:01 p.m. just after polls statewide closed.
Scott, one of the richest members of Congress, pumped millions of dollars of his own money into the race, as he has with his previous three elections.
Murcarsel-Powell struggled to gain attention. She collected little financial support from national Democrats until the last few weeks of the race and had little name recognition outside South Florida.
The Senate race featured no debates. Scott declined repeated invitations from Mucarsel-Powell.
Still, some late polls showed Scott in a closer race than most analysts expected against Mucarsel-Powell, an immigrant from Ecuador and former congresswoman. She's currently a senior advisor at the national gun control advocacy group Giffords.
Read the full story here.
U.S. House District 27: Republican Maria Elvira Salazar wins reelection over Baez-Geller
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Republican Maria Elvira Salazar wins reelection to U.S. House in Florida's 27th Congressional District, defeating Miami-Dade County School Board member Lucia Baez-Geller.
"WE WON!" she posted on X, formerly Twitter.
"Thank you to voters of FL-27 for sending me to DC for a 3rd term," she wrote. "I’ll continue to be your voice, fighting for you! We have a lot of work to do: fix the economy, reform immigration & fight socialism at home & abroad."
Read the full story here.
U.S. House District 26: Republican Mario Diaz-Balart wins reelection
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Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Florida on Tuesday.
The 26th District stretches across southern Florida from Hialeah and the northwestern suburbs of Miami to just west of Naples on the Gulf Coast. It is majority Hispanic.
Diaz-Balart is the longest-serving member of the Florida congressional delegation, first elected in 2002. He is the son of Cuban refugees and a founding member of a caucus for Hispanic Republicans.
He defeated Democrat Joey Atkins.
The Associated Press declared Diaz-Balart the winner at 7:17 p.m. EST.
U.S. House District 21: Republican Brian Mast wins reelection
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Republican Rep. Brian Mast won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Florida on Tuesday.
The 21st District falls along the state's eastern Treasure Coast and includes Port St. Lucie and Jupiter.
The district has become increasingly Republican, particularly in presidential elections, since Mast was first elected in 2016. Prior to that, he served in the U.S. Army. While in Afghanistan, Mast was wounded and had both of his legs amputated.
After joining Congress, he became the first lawmaker to open a satellite office in a Department of Veterans Affairs facility.
The Associated Press declared Mast the winner at 7:40 p.m. EST.
READ MORE: Florida election results: White House, Congress and constitutional amendments
U.S. House District 22: Democrat Lois Frankel wins reelection
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Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Florida on Tuesday.
The compact 22nd District is located along the Gulf Coast and falls entirely within Palm Beach County.
Frankel, who was first elected to Congress in 2012, served seven terms in the Florida House of Representatives. Despite the strong Democratic lean of her district, Frankel's 2020 race, which she won by 20 percentage points‚ attracted wide interest because she faced a far-right Republican candidate.
Her 2022 and 2024 challenger, Republican Dan Franzese, was less controversial.
The Associated Press declared Frankel the winner at 7:26 p.m. EST.
U.S. House District 28: Republican Carlos Gimenez wins reelection
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Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez won election to a U.S. House seat representing Florida on Tuesday.
The 28th District was created during the 2020 redistricting cycle, as Florida gained a seat following that year's census. It is the state's southernmost district, covering the Florida Keys, Miami's southwestern suburbs and the Everglades.
Gimenez, a former mayor of Miami-Dade County, defeated Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell to win the previous iteration of the seat in 2020.
This year, he defeated Democrat and U.S. Navy veteran Phil Ehr.
The Associated Press declared Gimenez the winner at 7:24 p.m. EST.
READ MORE: Florida election results: White House, Congress and constitutional amendments
U.S. House District 20: Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick wins reelection
Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Florida on Tuesday.
She ran uncontested in the 20th District, which includes Fort Lauderdale and western Broward County in southeast Florida. It’s among the state’s most Democratic districts, as Democrats outnumber Republicans by a nearly 5-1 ratio.
Cherfilus-McCormick initially won the seat in a January 2022 special election after the death of longtime Rep. Alcee Hastings. She went on to the win the general election later that year.
She is the first Black woman to represent the district.
Musk will join Trump in Florida on election night
Elon Musk said he will spend election night with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
The tech mogul and owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, confirmed his plans on X Spaces, adding that he was heading straight to Florida after he casts his ballot in Texas.
Musk has been a mega-donor and powerful supporter of the Republican nominee. Not only has he put $75 million into a super PAC to support the candidate, Musk has helped with get-out-the-vote operations, including offering multiple giveaways of a million dollars to registered voters in key states who sign a petition.
At a Trump rally in October, Musk said, “The other side wants to take away your freedom. President Trump must win to preserve the Constitution.”
U.S. House District 25: Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz wins reelection
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Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Florida on Tuesday. Wasserman Schultz is the longest-tenured Democrat in Florida's congressional delegation.
She was first elected to Congress in 2004, succeeding longtime Rep. Peter Deutsch. Since then, she has won her general elections with at least 55% of the vote.
This year, she defeated Republican Chris Eddy. The 25th District is located entirely within Broward County and includes Hollywood and Pembroke Pines.
The Associated Press declared Wasserman Schultz the winner at 7:11 p.m. EST.
At look at Trump's election night watch party in South Florida
Former President Donald Trump is hosting his election night watch party in Palm Beach County.
From the Palm Beach County Convention Center, WLRN's Wilkine Brutus sets up the scene hours before Trump's arrival.
"It's hard to miss the massive quote: 'Trump will fix it' sign posted on a wall inside the Palm Beach Convention Center here in West Palm Beach.
Right now, about 100 people are wearing red MAGA hats and shirts are basically camping in front of the stage where Trump is scheduled to speak later this evening once polls are closed. More than 1,000 invited guests and media are expected. It's quiet but festive. You can hear the live music.
There's wine, coffee, reserved tables, three big screens displaying Fox News and to note, barricades surrounds the entire venue and I did not see any protest or picket signs outside.
Remember both candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are vying for 270 electoral votes to win the presidency."
Monroe County voters show strong turnout in Florida Keys
In the Florida Keys, unofficial counts show a strong voter turnout, with around 77% of Monroe County’s eligible voters having already cast their ballots by 2 p.m.
Voter Georgie Sage, a Key Colony Beach resident, told WLRN that her top priorities include advocating for women’s rights and supporting marginalized communities.
“Helping the people that really need the help, I think that’s our responsibility as Americans," she said. "Everybody in the world should be able to live a free and equal life. Men, women, no matter what’s your race, religion, creed.
"I mean the children that are being killed in Gaza is just mind boggling," she said referring to the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants.
More than a year of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 people, Palestinian health officials say. They do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but say more than half of those killed were women and children.
The war began after Palestinian militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting 250 others.
Florida's voter information lookup tool now up and running
As of 4:39 p.m.on Tuesday, Florida's voter information look up tool is now back in operation.
Earlier this morning, the webpage had prompted users with a message that read, "An error has occurred. Please try again."
The tool is used to check one's voter registration status.
If you still have trouble accessing your voter registration status on the state's website, please contact their county's supervisor of elections here.
Florida's 2024 voter turnout may be lower than 2020 as 'active' registered voters decline
About 10.7 million Floridians will have to vote this year if voter turnout is to match the turnout four years ago. If that happens, it still would be fewer Floridians casting ballots in the 2024 election compared to 2020.
That’s because there are about a half million fewer active registered voters for this election versus the last one.
A 2023 state law changed voter registration, increasing the number of people identified as inactive voters. The law gives voters 30 days to respond if they receive confirmation for an address change. If there is no response, that person is put on an inactive voter list.
The biggest drop in registered voters between the two presidential elections is in South Florida. There are more than 100,000 fewer active registered voters in both Palm Beach and Broward counties. The figure fell by almost 40,000 in Miami-Dade.
The Republican margin with registered voters is well known. There are fewer registered voters in each of Florida’s 67 counties in this election compared to four years ago, led by decreases in South Florida’s three large counties.
Miami-Dade also led the way with the number of new GOP registered voters.
South Florida voters turn out in rainy weather to finish a stormy election
Many South Florida voters were greeted by wet and windy weather Tuesday morning, a perhaps fitting ending to one of the stormiest U.S. elections in memory.
Still, although about 60 percent of Florida's electorate — more than 8 million people — voted early, Election Day turnout looked robust at polling sites like the Coral Gables Branch Library.
After voting there, Rita Fernandez, 69, an insurance worker, said the economy was the biggest issue on her mind when she voted.
"People, young people can't afford to purchase homes," Fernandez told WLRN.
"The food prices are skyrocketing, and if you're on a fixed income, it's very hard. The United States needs to improve the way that they run their business because we need a change."
Turnout in Miami-Dade County was strong, according to early voting returns, with Republican voters outnumbering Democratic voters by about 25,000 ballots.
Gustavo Amador, 47, also voted at the Coral Gables Branch Library — and also said the economy was a front-and-center issue for him.
"The economy is not being handled properly," said Amador, a Republican. "You don't need handouts, you need people working and producing.”
Read the full story here.
Palm Beach: Trump snaps at reporter when asked about abortion: 'Stop talking about that'
Donald Trump is refusing to say how he voted on Florida's abortion measure — and getting testy about it.
The former president was asked twice after casting his ballot in Palm Beach on Tuesday about a question that the state's voters are considering. If approved, it would prevent state lawmakers from passing any law that penalizes, prohibits, delays or restricts abortion until fetal viability — which doctors say is sometime after 21 weeks.
If it’s rejected, the state’s restrictive six-week abortion law would stand.
The first time he was asked, Trump avoided answering. He said instead of the issue that he did “a great job bringing it back to the states.” That was a reference to the former president having appointed three conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who helped overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 2022.
Pressed a second time, Trump snapped at a reporter, saying they "should just stop talking about that.”
Trump had previously indicated that he would back the measure — but then changed his mind and said he would vote against it.
Top Florida election official: No major voting issues on Election Day
Polling places opened across Florida at 7 a.m. Tuesday, with Secretary of State Cord Byrd expressing confidence that the general election would go smoothly.
“Florida is the gold standard for elections administration,” said Byrd. “When voters go to the polls in Florida, they know their vote is going to be counted. It’s going to be counted accurately, and it’s going to be counted timely. They can trust in the results. I think you are going to see, before you go to bed tonight, the results in Florida.”
With polls open statewide until 7 p.m. local time, the state will start posting results at 8 p.m. Find results on the Florida Election Watch website: https://floridaelectionwatch.gov.
Florida's webpage to look up voter information crashes
The webpage that Floridians use to check crucial voter information is down.
As of Tuesday morning, the Florida Department of State's tool to look up one's voter registration status prompts users with a message that reads, "An error has occurred. Please try again."
“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, said Abdelilah Skhir, senior strategist, ACLU of Florida, in a statement.
Voters who are having trouble accessing their voter registration status on the state's SOE website should contact their county's supervisor of elections here. As of 12:30 p.m. the Supervisor of Elections websites for Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties are operational.
"With hours left until the polls close, we must ensure that every eligible voter in Florida can participate in the democratic process,” Skhir said.
READ MORE: How and where to vote in South Florida for the 2024 General Election
27-feet tall flamingos in Palm Beach County are encouraging people to vote
No, you’re not hallucinating — you may have actually seen comically large flamingos casting their ballots in front of the Palm Beach County supervisor of elections headquarters.
The civic-minded flamboyance made their voices heard. Well, kind of. The towering 27-feet fiberglass and steel flamingos — three of them standing between one empty voting booth — are part of a colorful, eye-catching public art display by the county to spur voter participation.
In front of the county supervisor of elections building in West Palm Beach, the pink birds are seen casting ballots in oversized voting booths a few feet lower in height — a metaphor for the magnitude of this year’s presidential election between leading candidates Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald J. Trump.
The installation is designed for both voters and people passing by.
“Some people ride bicycles, some people walk, but the majority go by car,” Matthew Mazzotta told WLRN. “So I wanted something that you could read really quickly as you're going to this voting place or as you're passing by maybe on that street. So I wanted to have it large.”
Read the full story here.
Abortions down nearly 19% compared to last year
As Floridians decide Tuesday whether to enshrine abortion rights in the state Constitution, the number of abortions reported during the first 10 months of 2024 was down 18.7% from the same period in 2023, according to new state data.
The state Agency for Health Care Administration data showed that 52,753 abortions had been reported this year as of Thursday, compared to 64,918 last year.
The decrease comes after a law took effect May 1 largely preventing abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
The report and data compiled in November 2023 by The News Service of Florida show that abortions are down this year in counties across the state. Also, the number of out-of-state residents having abortions in Florida dropped from 5,898 during the first 10 months of 2023 to 3,500 this year.
Florida voters will decide today whether to approve Amendment 4, which says, in part, that no “law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient's health, as determined by the patient's healthcare provider.”
How to make sure your mail in ballot counts
If you voted by mail and want to check to check the status of your mail-in ballot on your local Supervisor of Elections website.
"It's really easy to track your vote-by-mail ballot online and if there is any problem with the signature on your vote-by-mail ballot, there will be an alert in that online system,” Amy Keith, executive director of Common Cause Florida, told WUSF News.
Keith said the most common issue are mail-in ballots that come in late. If you have not sent in your mail-in ballot by Election Day, Keith said it's best to submit it in-person.
There is also no cure for when two people mail their ballots in one envelope, she said. Florida Statute 101.68c states “these votes may not be counted.”
“So, it’s really important that voters are conscientious about putting their vote-by-mail ballot in their vote-by-mail envelope,” she said.
If you forget to sign your mail-in ballot or if your signature does not match the one on file, there are ways of curing your ballot.
To fix, or “cure,” these issues, you’ll need to provide evidence the ballot is indeed yours. The canvassing board has specific guidelines to follow when helping you resolve these issues.
While the Supervisor of Elections is required to notify you of problems by mail, there is often not enough time to make changes after Election Day, Keith said. She said if you have a phone number or email address on file with the office, they will be able to contact you that way.
The deadline to make these changes is 5 p.m. Nov. 7, two days after Election Day.
Reporting from WUSF contributed to this report.
Polling locations open up across South Florida
And, we're off. Polling locations are officially open in South Florida.
If you are voting today, you can use this link to find your assigned voting precinct. Remember you must bring appropriate identification to the polls.
Here's what else you should know about voting today.
Polls stations will be open until 7 p.m. Any voters waiting in line at 7 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot; if you arrive at your precinct later than 7 p.m., you will not be able to vote.
If you requested a vote-by-mail ballot, but changed your mind and want to vote in person, bring your ballot to turn it in and vote regular ballot. Elections officials have to "cancel" that ballot so you can vote in person. If you don't have your vote-by-mail ballot with you and an election official confirms your ballot has not been counted, you'll be given a provisional ballot.
Vote-by mail ballots can also be dropped off via secure drop box at your country's Supervisors of Elections main and branch offices' until 7 p.m.
READ MORE: How and where to vote in South Florida for the 2024 General Election
Something has been missing in Florida this presidential election year
Florida voters have not heard Donald Trump or Kamala Harris "approve of this message" much during the 2024 election.
Neither have they been targeted much by their zip codes by social media advertising from the presidential campaigns.
If one needed any more evidence that Florida has lost its swing state status for presidential politics, look no further than the collapse of presidential candidate ad spending in the Sunshine State.
Florida used to see a gold rush of spending by candidates and special interest groups during presidential election years. But not this year. Not on TV. And not online.
Digital targeted ad spending can be counted in the thousands of dollars. Total candidate campaign spending is a mere whisper of what it was during the two previous presidential election years.
Four years ago, $177 million was spent by presidential campaigns on advertising in Florida. This year, that spending has all but disappeared — dropping by more than 99% — according to advertising tracking company Ad-Impact.
Read the full story here.
No classes for three South Florida school districts on Election Day
Three South Florida public school districts will not hold classes on Election Day.
Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County Public schools will be closed for students tomorrow. On Election Day, many schools serve as polling locations.
November 5 is considered a Professional Development Day on school district calendars. District offices will remain open.
Monroe County School District schools will continue as normal.
READ MORE: How and where to vote in South Florida for the 2024 General Election
State officials ready for Election Day. About 8.2 million Floridians early voted as of Monday
Nearly 8.2 million Floridians cast ballots by mail or at early voting sites as of Monday morning, according to the latest data posted by the state Department of Elections website.
Secretary of State Cord Byrd said in a statement Monday that the state "ready to ensure every step of the election is conducted according to Florida law.”
"We are also prepared to support all 67 of Florida’s Supervisors of Elections in their efforts to run a smooth and orderly election," he said.
State officials are encouraging all registered voters who have not already done so, to verify their polling location and make plans to vote before the polls close on Tuesday at 7 p.m. local time.
The Department will report preliminary unofficial election results from the counties beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST at FloridaElectionWatch.gov.