SUMMARY: In Florida, early voter turnout reached 5.35 million, a 38.14% increase from 2016. Mail-in voting saw 2.83 million ballots cast, marking a 3.74% rise since the last presidential election. Elections officials mailed 3.53 million ballots, up from 3.35 million in 2016. However, mail-in ballots are down 26.9% compared to 2020’s pandemic peak. Among mail-in votes, 34.9% were by Republicans and 41.7% by Democrats. Early voting included 2.55 million Republicans and 1.51 million Democrats. Data is updated daily by the Florida Secretary of State‘s office, with early voting beginning on October 22.

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SUMMARY: Republican lawmakers, led by U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, have proposed two bills aimed at enhancing election integrity amid concerns over illegal voting. The “JAIL for Alien Voters Act” seeks to impose stricter penalties, including five years in prison or a $10,000 fine for noncitizens who vote, aligning their consequences with those for U.S. citizens. Gaetz also introduced the “National Motor Voter Clarification Act,” aimed at empowering states to remove noncitizens from voter rolls without federal intervention. This follows legal disputes in Virginia about voter registration and parallels ongoing debates on immigration and election integrity amid a surge in border crossings under the Biden administration.

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SUMMARY: Early voting has concluded in South Florida, with significant turnout reported. In Miami-Dade County, around 870,000 ballots have been cast, representing 57% of eligible voters, with 33,000 more Republicans voting than Democrats. Broward County saw approximately 680,000 votes, nearing 60% turnout, with Democrats outpacing Republicans by 157,000. Monroe County had about 31,000 voters, reaching 61% turnout, with Republicans leading by 6,300 votes. Voters expressed enthusiasm for participating. On Election Day, polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and those in line by 7 p.m. will be able to vote. A detailed ballot breakdown is expected later.

Morgan Rynor reports around 7.8 million people — 56.6% of Florida’s registered voters — have already cast their ballots for the Nov. 5 election.

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