2024 Florida Primary: Some Florida elections supervisor websites restored after ‘cyber incident’

ORLANDO, Fla. — Floridians from across the state cast their ballots Tuesday in the 2024 Florida Primary. Read live updates below:

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10:15 p.m. update

The race for District 1 Orange County Commissioner is too close to call.

There were just five more votes cast for current District 1 Orange County Commissioner Nicole Wilson as opposed to Austin Arthur.

Wilson received 14,052 (50.01% of the vote) whereas Arthur received 14,047 votes (49.99% of the vote).

There were 89 write-in votes cast, which must be reviewed.

Read: 2024 Florida Primary: Election results

The race is headed to a recount.

The races for Orange County commissioners in districts 3 and 5 will head to runoff elections.

Mayra Uribe and Linda Stewart will advance to the runoff for District 3.

Kelly Semrad and Steve Leary will advance to the runoff for District 5.

Click here for live elections results, and watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News for live updates.

10:10 p.m. update

Some of the Florida elections supervisor’s websites that were impacted are now back up, the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office said.

9:15 p.m. update

Sen. Geraldine Thompson has been re-elected to Florida Senate District 15.

Read: Judge removes temporary injunction against Seminole County elections supervisor

Elsewhere in Central Florida, Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Chris Anderson lost the GOP primary to Amy Pennock.

Pennock won 60% of votes cast.

In Osceola County, Sheriff Marcos Lopez won the Democratic primary for sheriff. He will advance to the general election in November.

8:35 p.m. update

Osceola County Supervisor of Elections Mary Jane Arrington said that a majority of supervisor of elections’ websites throughout the state are down.

The website host is working to correct the issue, she said.

Channel 9 has learned that the “cyber incident” is affecting 59 of 67 counties in Florida.

It appears to be an issue involving a vendor, not an issue with the state or the counties themselves, sources tell Channel 9.

Jackson County Supervisor of Elections Carol Dunaway posted the following statement on her Facebook page:

“Our website is experiencing difficulties on the vendor side. We will have results posted here when they are available. Vote-by-mail and early voting results will be released at 7 p.m. Because of the website issue, those results may be delayed. Please have patience with us. This is a vendor-related issue and out of our hands.”

8:15 p.m. update

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz has defeated an opponent backed by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to win the Tuesday’s Republican primary in one of Florida’s most conservative congressional districts.

Gaetz defeated former Navy pilot Aaron Dimmock, who was backed by a McCarthy-controlled political committee.

Gaetz is considered a lock to beat Democrat Gay Valimont in a district that tends to support Republicans by more than a 2-1 ratio.

Gaetz led the effort to oust McCarthy last year, and McCarthy in turn used his political action committee to spend $3 million against Gaetz.

The committee aired commercials alleging that Gaetz paid for sex with a 17-year-old, an allegation currently being investigated by the House Ethics Committee. Gaetz maintains his innocence.

Barring an upset, Gaetz is set to win his fifth term in Congress, where he’s built a national reputation as a disruptor and a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump.

8:10 p.m. update

Thomas Chalifoux wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 9th Congressional District.

Robert Rochford wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 14th Congressional District.

8 p.m. update

Rick Scott has won the Republican primary in Florida, advancing to a Nov. 5 showdown against the winner of the Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat.

Scott -- who won his 2018 race by a razor-thin margin of about 10,000 votes -- has even larger ambitions as he looks to seek the Senate Republican leader seat if he wins the general election.

An ally of former President Donald Trump, Scott sought the Senate leadership position in 2022 and lost by a 37-10 vote to U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. This year, with McConnell stepping down, Scott could seek the position again

Florida has shifted politically in the six years since Scott narrowly won office in 2018. At the time, Democrats outnumbered Republicans, but now Republicans have more than a 1 million-voter advantage over Democrats.

Scott will face former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in a race that could largely hinge on the success of their parties’ presidential candidates.

7:53 p.m. update

Chris Eddy wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 25th Congressional District.

Dan Franzese wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 22nd Congressional District.

Neal Dunn has won the Republican nomination for the U.S. House in Florida’s 2nd Congressional District.

7:40 p.m. update

Vern Buchanan wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 16th Congressional District.

Andrea Kale wins Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 18th Congressional District.

Maria Elvira Salazar wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 27th Congressional District.

Sandy Kennedy wins Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 8th Congressional District.

7:35 p.m. update

Jennifer Adams wins Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 7th Congressional District.

Laurel Lee wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 15th Congressional District.

7:25 p.m. update

Maxwell Frost wins Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 10th Congressional District.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz wins Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 25th Congressional District.

Brian Mast wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 21st Congressional District.

7:20 p.m. update

Gus Bilirakis wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 12th Congressional District.

Kat Cammack wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 3rd Congressional District

7:15 p.m. update

Mike Haridopolos wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 8th Congressional District.

John Rutherford wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 5th Congressional District.

Mario Diaz-Balart wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 26th Congressional District.

7:10 p.m. update

Cory Mills wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 7th Congressional District.

Daniel Webster wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 11th Congressional District.

Michael Waltz wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 6th Congressional District.

7 p.m. update

Polls have closed in most of Florida.

Click here for live results as they come in to our newsroom.

6:20 p.m. update

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made his presence felt, endorsing 23 school board candidates across 14 counties in the state.

Although DeSantis’ name is not on the ballot, his agenda is clear -- he wants to see more conservative candidates on school boards to end what he calls “woke ideology” in schools.

The seats are officially nonpartisan, but in addition to his endorsements, the Republican governor also targeted 14 incumbent school board members that he wants to see voted out.

Read: Election officials have these reminders for Primary Day voters

2024 Florida Primary: Gov. DeSantis endorses 23 school board candidates, what this means for voters Gov. Ron DeSantis is throwing his weight behind county school board candidates statewide. (WFTV)

DeSantis aims to stop teaching practices for Critical Race Theory and Gender Theory in Florida classrooms.

In the last election, he endorsed 30 school board candidates -- 25 of whom either won or advanced to a runoff election.

Professor Jon Hanley, of the University of Central Florida, told Channel 9 that same thing could happen again Tuesday evening.

“This is something that came out of the 2020 election and discussion of ‘wokeness’ and Critical Race Theory moving into 2022,” he said. “And DeSantis certainly made it a cornerstone of his approach.”

4:55 p.m. update

2024 Florida Primary: Thousands of Central Floridians head to the polls Floridians from across the state will head to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in the 2024 Florida Primary. (WFTV)

All polling places will close at 7 p.m. Tuesday, but if you’re in line by then, you’ll still be able to cast your ballot.

The Orange County Supervisor of Elections’ office said that it expects between 20,000 to 30,000 people to vote Tuesday.

In terms of voter turnout, only 14 percent of registered voters in Orange County have cast their ballots.

But more than 55,000 people voted by mail and about 40,000 people voted early.

Read: Florida primary election: Can you take a selfie with your ballot?

About 20,000 people have voted in person Tuesday at one of Orange County’s more than 200 polling locations.

You will need to go to your assigned polling location to vote, or you can drop off your mail-in ballot at the elections office.

“You have no reason to complain if you don’t vote,” one voter told Channel 9 on Tuesday. “You want to make your voice known.”

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

2:25 p.m. update

Today is Election Day in Florida.

Polls will remain open until 7 p.m.

If you’re an Orange County vote, you can click here to find your polling place.

If you still have your vote-by-mail ballot, you can drop it off at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections at 119 W. Kaley St. by 7 p.m.

7:30 a.m. update

Channel 9′s Sam Martello is monitoring activity at Precinct 607 in Orange County, the Pine Hills Community Center.

You can catch her live updates on WRDQ TV 27.

Click here to read more.

Election officials have these reminders for Primary day voters (Sam Martello, WFTV.com/WFTV)

7a.m. update

Polls have just opened across Central Florida.

Precincts will remain open until 7 p.m.

5 a.m. update

Polls are just two hours from opening.

Channel 9 spoke to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office this morning.

A spokesperson said there does not appear to be any issues as poll workers ready area precincts for voters.

Read: What you need to know ahead of Tuesday’s Primary Elections in Orange County

He expects between 20,000 and 30,000 additional residents to cast votes on Tuesday.

Early voters in Orange County cast more than 90,000 ballots across 22 locations.

4 a.m. update

Polls across much of Florida will open in just three hours, marking the beginning of the 2024 Florida Primary.

Read: Florida primary election: Can you take a selfie with your ballot?

Watch special live coverage on Channel 9 Eyewitness News, beginning at 4:30 a.m.

What you need to know ahead of Tuesday’s Primary Elections in Orange County (WFTV)

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