Gray Rohrer
Florida Democrats have turned in 46,754 more mail ballots than Republicans as of Monday morning, according to data from the Division of Elections. But that slender advantage, which they also held in the last two election cycles, still ended in defeat on Election Day in 2020 and 2018.
Early voting began Monday, and with little more than two weeks before the Nov. 8 General Election, the initial data show voters are likely to vote by mail at higher levels than in 2018, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but not as much as during the peak of the pandemic in 2020.
More than 1.16 million voters have returned mail ballots so far, and another 3.08 million have requested ballots but not yet submitted them. Democrats have submitted 491,708 mail ballots to the Republicans’ 444,954, while no-party voters have turned in 211,301 and minor party voters have sent in 16,790.
In 2020, nearly 4.86 million voters cast their ballots through the mail, compared to 2.62 million in 2018.
Democrats banked more mail ballots than Republicans in Florida in 2020, with 2.19 million to the GOP’s 1.5 million, but Republicans outvoted Democrats in early voting and on Election Day, helping push the Sunshine State in former President Donald Trump’s column by 3 points.
In 2018, Democrats had more mail and early voters, but Republicans helped Ron DeSantis and Rick Scott to narrow victories in the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races that year.
Republicans have surpassed Democrats in registered voters, with 5,259,406 GOP voters on the rolls as of Sept. 30, compared to 4,966,873 Democrats. There are 3,974,540 no-party voters and 260,936 minor party voters.
The latest poll from Florida Atlantic University released last week shows DeSantis with a commanding 11-point lead over Democrat Charlie Crist in the Governor’s race, leading 51% to 40%. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Miami Republican, is favored to keep his seat and hold off a challenge from U.S. Rep. Val Demings, an Orlando Democrat, as he holds a 48% to 42% lead in that race.
5 comments
Tom
October 24, 2022 at 4:53 pm
Tom legend here.
I saw Rubio get trounced in the debate and now I’m voting for Val Demings. She is the best.
Jerry
October 24, 2022 at 7:43 pm
Republicans don’t mail in vote. Most Republicans vote closer to election day or on election day.
Bruce Davis
October 24, 2022 at 7:48 pm
How can anyone trust the information you have provided in this article? Rubio is a disgrace. He used his Republican AE credit card to pay for home improvement and airline flights for his family. He paid some of it back; however, how can anyone trust such a liar. FIU’s President gave Rubio a plush 69,000 dollar adjunct faculty salary to teach one niight at FIU. This is more money than most full-time regular faculty were making, Of course, Rubio did not show up to teach his class on several occasions just like he missed voting in the Senate.. Rubio is is personally responsible for the failure of the Cuban Embargo. Cuban needs to be opened up. The Cuban people are suffering. Rubio’s stand on abortion is radical and extreme. He was a complete failure when he was one of the nominees for the 2016 Presidential election.
Richard Bruce
October 24, 2022 at 7:58 pm
The dead must do something before Halloween.
Mario Jordan
October 24, 2022 at 9:14 pm
Bruce Davis i completely agree with you. Rubio lost the debate and Denings earned our vote.
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