Polling places across Florida open at 7 a.m. on Election Day, giving voters who have not cast early ballots one last chance to take part in the midterm elections. More than 5 million Floridians have already voted, but the results could be tight in several key contests statewide.
According to the University of Florida Election Lab, Republicans hold a slight lead over Democrats in early voting. That gap is smaller than many expected, especially since Republicans outnumber registered Democrats by roughly 1.5 million voters in the state. Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida, said the early-vote breakdown could give Democrats some hope.
Eduardo Gamarra, a political science professor at Florida International University, said the national mood is difficult for officeholders in both parties, pointing to inflation, the cost of living, the war in Iran and immigration policy. He said those issues could be helping Republicans, but several races still deserve attention. They include the governor’s race, attorney general, Florida’s 27th Congressional District and the U.S. Senate contest, where independent voters could decide the outcome.
Jewett urged voters who have not yet cast early ballots to go to the polls, saying their votes could help decide who leads the state and the country.
