Politics

What does record-breaking Early Voting mean for Florida?

By Christopher Heath, WFTV.com and Kevin Williams
By Christopher Heath, WFTV.com and Kevin Williams

CENTRAL FLORIDA — Election Day is Tuesday, but in battleground -- a.k.a. do-or-die -- a.k.a. swing state Florida, 5.1 million voters have already done their democratic duty.

Early voting came to a close Sunday, setting records for a midterm election. Some voters who cast their ballots early encountered long lines.

So is the record-breaking turnout a sign of who will win come Tuesday night? It’s easy for both parties to argue that they are winning – but it’s not that simple.

CENTRAL FLORIDA DECIDES: 

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Democrats are celebrating because, as of now, more Democratic voters have cast their ballot. Republicans, meanwhile, are excited that the GOP-to-Democrat ratio is very close, and they still have high-turnout voters who will show up Tuesday.

This is a departure from 2014 – the last midterm election – when Republicans ended early voting with a narrow lead.

Regardless of party affiliation, women make up the majority of early voters. Meanwhile, independent voters account for almost one in five votes.

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So with 5.1 million votes already cast, the big question is: How many more votes are even left for Tuesday?

The potential answer: More than double that. Florida’s Division of Elections says there are 13.2 million registered voters in the Sunshine State.

One more thing to consider: Early voting is popular, but day-of voting can make or break the fate of a candidate. In 2016, Hillary Clinton led in early voting, but Donald Trump won the ballots cast on Election Day, and then won the state.

CENTRAL FLORIDA DECIDES: 

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