Americans have reached the finish line of the 2024 election. Your emotions about politics this past year may have been all over the place. Apathy. Optimism. Frustration. Fear.
Last time there was a presidential race, 77% of registered Florida voters participated. It could be similar this year.
That’s because this election includes high-profile constitutional amendments on abortion rights and recreational marijuana. Add to that, U.S. Senate and House races, and a long list of state and local contests.
WUSF will be here to update you on air and online to share the results. And while you may see people declaring victory or defeat on social media, know we will only report the facts as they are being released.
We will be careful not to engage in speculation or predictions. We will provide facts, and what we know at any given moment. And we won’t treat the results like a horse race.
What can I hear election night?
WUSF’s radio and streaming platforms will be providing you with special coverage starting Tuesday at 7 p.m. with a one-hour live Florida Matters special.
Call 813-755-6552 to share your election experience with host Matthew Peddie. Listen on WUSF 89.7 and WUSF.org and watch it live on WUSF’s YouTube channel, its Facebook page and Instagram account.
NPR joins at 8 p.m. with comprehensive national coverage of the presidential race. WUSF reporters will be providing updates three times each hour, so you will get the latest results on local and statewide races. NPR will be live through 3 a.m., and we’ll pick it all back up live at 5 a.m. with Morning Edition.
Where else can I find updates?
WUSF.org and our social media accounts already are full of information about the election, and it kicks into high gear Tuesday. Check out our live blog for early election updates throughout the day. And once the polls close, look for updates on local races by county — including several tax referendums. We’re also tracking each of the six amendments proposed for the Florida constitution. There will be live maps updating state and presidential races, and summary graphics for balance of power in Congress.
Who do you rely on to make final calls on different races?
Like NPR, we’ll report results from state and local elections offices, and rely on the Associated Press for all vote counts and race calls for elections.
The AP has been tallying results in national, state and local elections since 1848. In broad terms, the process is the same today as it was then: Vote-count reporters collect election results at a local level as soon as polls close, then submit those results for the AP to collate, verify and report.
This year, AP will count the votes in about 5,000 contested races around the United States, from the presidency and Congress to state legislatures and ballot measures.
What are we reporting on?
- WUSF News has focused all year on voters and issues that matter to you, and we’ll continue on Tuesday. Share your thoughts on voting on our Facebook page, or through this simple form.
- We’ll will be monitoring local voter turnout all day, and checking in with elections offices in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota counties to see how voting is going.
- We’ll provide you context, including on the votes for the proposed constitutional amendments. We’ll explain what the results mean to you, and to the future of local, state and national government. We won’t report on rumors.
- We will remind you about the process, especially because the results will not be official Tuesday, or Wednesday, or even the day after that. The American voting process is designed with a lot of checks and balances. And there will be legal challenges. It’s important to remember we may not know the outcome for a while.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
