TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Early voting in Florida has ended, and the November 2022 midterm is only one day left. The races at stake for the state of Florida include a governor, attorney general, chief financial officer, a US Senate seat and several seats in the US Congress.
Because of Hurricane Ian, voters in Lee, Charlotte and Sarasota counties may have extra time to vote early and vote by mail due to the loss of those locations, According to DOS.
As of 8:15 a.m. on the eve of the election, nearly 2.3 million Floridians have voted at early polling places, and more than 2.5 million have already voted by mail, Florida Division of Elections Reported, An additional 1.8 million vote-by-mail ballots were requested and shipped, but not yet returned.
Vote-by-mail ballots must be left by 7 p.m. on election night. Florida State Department said that regardless of when the ballot is postmarkedIf not received by 7 pm on election night, the same will not be counted.
For Tampa Bay counties, here are the details of the early voting and vote-by-mail so far.
| place | Vote received by mail | early voting |
|---|---|---|
| statewide | 2,525,699 | 2,262,319 |
| Citrus County | 25011 | 20,386 |
| hardy county | 665 | 2,029 |
| Hernando County | 26,851 | 17,620 |
| Highlands County | 11,336 | 11,226 |
| Hillsborough County | 181,244 | 131,309 |
| Manatee County | 66,185 | 36,345 |
| Pasco County | 72,313 | 52,197 |
| Pinellas County | 217,005 | 45,960 |
| Polk County | 70,181 | 44,570 |
| Sarasota County | 87,040 | 55,161 |
Similar to the midterms in the past, early turnout levels are lower in 2020 than in the general election. As previously reported, preliminary numbers reported by the Florida State Department, which tracks and supervises elections, reflect the state’s voter participation so far. About 40% less for early votingcompared to 2020,
There are also fewer voters who voted in person or by mail after the pandemic, where the number of absentee ballots in Florida was much higher than in the 2018 midterm election. Tuesday’s vote comes with the potential to alter the balance of power in Washington, with the addition of Florida’s own state government.
