© 2024 All Rights reserved WUSF
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Voting By Mail A Popular Option Ahead of November's Election

Daylina Miller/WUSF PUBLIC MEDIA
Besides the top-of-the-ballot presidential races, what are some other important races that we need to pay attention to?

Nearly 600 thousand Floridians have already voted in the November general election, with more than 10 percent of requested vote-by-mail ballots turned in to election supervisors.

If you are one of the thousands of voters across the Greater Tampa Bay region who requested a mail-in ballot, it’s probably lying on your living room table or waiting in your mailbox.

And for many people, it will be the first time voting-by-mail. The coronavirus pandemic and the effort to practice social distancing has led to a boom in requests for mail-in ballots.

Nearly 600 thousand Floridians have already voted in the November general election, with more than 10 percent of requested vote-by-mail ballots turned in to election supervisors.

How exactly does the process work? What happens if you make a mistake?

And besides the top of the ballot presidential races, what are some other important races that we need to pay attention to?

Host Bradley George spoke with WUSF’s Politics Reporter Steve Newborn and Tampa Bay Times correspondent and political analyst William March.

On the ballot, after the options for president and vice president, there are local races for the state Senate and House of Representatives as well as many amendments.

This election, there will also be a slew of Democratic candidates on the ballot. It's part of an effort by the state's Democratic Party called the "Sunshine Slate." Democrats will be contesting every race in the ballot.

"It's the Democrats' attempt to get candidates on every single ballot, even in races where they haven't had anyone before," Newborn said. "Or maybe in some North Florida rural district where they really don't have a chance. But the idea is to get somebody on the ballot and throwing Jell-O and seeing what sticks."

Click "Listen" above to hear the full conversation.

And to learn more about voting by mail, check out last week's The State We're In episode on the topic. Matthew Peddie of WMFE in Orlando spoke with two local supervisors of elections on how to make sure your vote is counted.

RELATED:
What You Need To Know About Amendment 2, Raising Florida’s Minimum Wage

What Is Florida’s Amendment 4, The Voter Approval Of Constitutional Amendments?

What Is Florida’s Amendment 3, Also Known As The 'Jungle Primary'?

Hi there! I’m Dinorah Prevost and I’m the producer of Florida Matters, WUSF's weekly public affairs show. That basically means that I plan, record and edit the interviews we feature on the show.
Bradley George was a Morning Edition host and reporter at WUSF until March 2022.