TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — While in Hillsborough’s Town N’ County area, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor spoke directly to Democrats before she dropped off her vote-by-mail ballot.
“The best thing to do is to go vote early now,” Castor said.
As of Wednesday morning in Florida, 2.6 million Republicans have voted early compared to 1.9 million Democrats.
“There are so many people, like me actually, who still have their vote-by-mail ballot on their kitchen table,” Castor said.
The latest figures from the state showed more than half-a-million Democrats in Florida have yet to return their vote-by-mail ballots.
“Here in Hillsborough County, the vote-by-mail ballots arrived, and we had two hurricanes,” Castor said.
Evan Power is the chair of the Florida GOP. He explained why messaging has changed among Republicans this election cycle when it comes to early voting.
“What we want to do is take the pressure off Election Day. A lot of things can go wrong on Election Day. So, if people go out and vote early, they know that their vote is counted. They’re in the bank for us and we are able to turnout people who need to turnout in low-propensity numbers,” Power said.
Those are voters who don’t turnout for every election.
Political Expert Stephen Neely, who is an associate professor of public affairs at the University of South Florida, believes there’s more to the GOP’s new messaging around early voting.
“There’s a desire to not fall for, what we call, the ‘red mirage’ again this time, which is that kind of sense that when Election Day votes are counted, Republicans look stronger, until the mail-in and early voting ballots get added in and that lead kind of evaporates,” Neely said.
Neely also has data from a survey that shows stress levels remained steady among voters about this election since January. He said that also may help people vote early.
“A lot of people want to put this election behind them, so they can kind of exhale and maybe relax a little bit,” Neely said.
The Town N’ Country area is also known for its large Latino population. Wednesday, Democrats also appealed to those voters following remarks about Puerto Rico during a Trump rally in New York City.
State Rep. Susan Valdes, out of Tampa, believes the area’s Latino and Hispanic communities will lean Democratic following the “garbage” remarks at the rally.
“I know they will vote with their conscience and understanding what is at risk,” Valdes said.
Former President Donald Trump has not directly acknowledged those remarks made at his rally.
Florida GOP Chair Power doesn’t think it’ll change any minds.
“I don’t think a joke impacts how people vote. I think people know Sen. Rick Scott and Donald Trump delivered for them outside of Election Day,” Power said.
But Power does believe recent comments from President Biden Tuesday night may increase the momentum among Florida Republicans.
“The president made the comments on video and the video is very clear. He called Trump supporters and Republicans garbage,” Power said.
The White House worked to clarify those comments by saying the President referred to the rhetoric at the New York Trump rally when he used the term “garbage,” not Trump’s supporters.
“No one should be called garbage. I was pleased to see President Biden clarified his remarks,” Castor said.
Neely believes the remarks at Trump’s rally may have a greater impact on voters but not the ones made by President Biden.
“I don’t think voters are really listening to Joe Biden that much at this point,” Neely said. “It could very well tip the scale in a very tight race in Pennsylvania, whether it could do so in Florida is a little more unlikely.”
For voters looking to vote ahead of Election Day, a few sites have wait times to help avoid long lines:
Early Voting – Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections
