Florida moves 21 polls after floods; early vote leads narrow
Governor DeSantis declares emergency in seven counties as rain forces location changes, while Republican early voting lead shrinks compared to 2022 and 2024.
By Chioma Kuznetsov ·
Heavy rains and flooding have forced at least 21 polling places to close and relocate across eight Florida counties on Election Day.
The state’s Division of Elections confirmed the closures on Tuesday, citing severe weather conditions that have impacted voting logistics in several regions.
Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for seven counties on Monday at 12:30 p.m. The order covers Brevard, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Indian River, Martin, and St. Lucie counties.
Under the emergency order, election supervisors must notify the Florida Department of State if they implement partial or substitute measures for Election Day voting. The Department of State must approve these changes.
In Brevard County, the Old polling place at Max K. Rodes Park Community Center moved to New Shiloh Christian Center in Melbourne. Precinct 309 voters shifted from the Veterans Memorial Complex to the same new location.
St. Lucie County saw multiple relocations, including moves to the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center and the Port St. Lucie Community Center. Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Tim Bobanic stated that relocations were necessary for the safety and security of election workers and voters.
Voting locations in the affected counties may change again throughout the day if weather conditions worsen, according to state officials.
Before the polls opened on Tuesday, the University of Florida Election Lab reported that about 40 percent of the state's 13.7 million registered voters had already cast ballots.
Nearly 5.46 million voters participated in early voting, with 3.47 million voting in person and 1.99 million by mail.
Among partisans, 40.2 percent of registered Republicans voted early, compared to 37.8 percent of registered Democrats. About 22 percent of independent voters also voted early.
WFLA reported that Republicans entered Election Day with a smaller lead than in the 2022 and 2024 elections. In 2022, roughly 1.7 million Republicans voted early versus 676,000 Democrats. In 2024, the GOP held a lead of more than 1 million votes ahead of Election Day.
Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats in Florida by approximately 1.5 million voters.
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