Florida has various pivotal elections coming at a time when some of our leaves provide us Floridians with a glimpse of what real autumn looks like. Here is a brief rundown on what to expect.
2022 – the year of the various Florida elections that will have an impact on the trajectory of bodily autonomy, gay rights and the freedoms of expression and speech.
Nonetheless, whether it is presidential elections taking all the attention during overlapping years or simply the lack of clear and accessible knowledge surrounding the election processes in each state, voter turnout is usually small — and these upcoming elections must break this chain.
To give the lay of the land, we will provide a brief overview of what state-level elections are occurring this fall, as well as tools to know how to identify who will be on your ballot and different voting methods available to you to ensure voting can be done as easily as possible.
When looking at the Florida Senate, there are 40 single-member districts. For example, those residing in Alachua County (home of the mighty Gainesville) are a part of District 8 and have Senator Keith Perry. To find your own, all you need to do is head over to https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/findyourrepresentative and input your current address; you will be able to see all elected officials who currently serve you. Once you find your state senator, double check whether their name will be on the voting ballot in a few months — and if they’re the right person to have in office.
Florida state senators have four-year terms and can run for two consecutive terms; former elected officials that reach the eight-year maximum have to wait a minimum of two years before they can run again. Many who are either up for election or reelection are Republican, thus voting for the Democrat is a necessity to remove at least one of the conservative majorities within the Florida Legislature and combat lucrative laws and bills continuously making headway.
As for the Florida House of Representatives, all spots are essentially up for grabs because they are only allowed to serve two terms. It is important to note that their districts differ from Florida Senate districts with Florida state representatives hailing from 120 districts. For example, those who reside in Alachua County are located in District 20 and are represented by Yvonne Hayes Hinson.
On a larger scale, the nation is keeping its eyes on the United States’ Senate race between Republican incumbent Marco Rubio and Democratic hopeful Val Demings, as well as the 28 congressional spots needing to be filled in this state alone. Florida now has 28 Congressional districts with the new map being finalized recently. To keep the trend of utilizing Alachua County, its residents are located in District 3 and are represented by Kat Cammack.
Perhaps the possibility that current Governor Ron DeSantis will be dethroned by either Democrat Charlie Crist or Nikki Fried is the most intriguing election of them all because of DeSantis’ presence in upholding dangerous ideologies. Florida – the notorious swing state – has become redder and redder over the years and needs a drastic shift in this pattern.
If you are not registered to vote, fill out this application by July 25 in order to be eligible to vote in both the primary and general elections.
Once completed, you can request a mail-in ballot by contacting your local Supervisor of Elections. Mail-in ballots are useful tools for those who can not make it in person on the day of the election. Such ballots must be postmarked by 5 p.m. on the 10th day prior to the election.
Voting in primaries is quintessential because it helps ensure your party is putting its strongest candidate forward in the general election. Florida is one of many states that opted to keep their primaries closed, meaning you must vote within your chosen party. If your political affiliation has changed, you can simply edit it on that same website.
For college students who essentially have two addresses to send their neverending Amazon Prime orders, there is a choice to be made: either you preemptively request an absentee ballot to vote in your home state or make sure you are registered in the state your college is located, giving you the ability to vote in that state. It is vital to choose wisely, for you are only allowed to vote in one.
Using your right to vote seems so simplistic at times, but when the time comes, seldom is there concise information to tell you what to do. Hopefully, this article provides a snippet of what to do when Steve Kornacki takes center stage on the TV screen once again.
Lauren Gregorio is an Online Writer for Rowdy Magazine. In her free time, you can find her either blasting a rotation of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Taylor Swift's discography into her ears thanks to her wired headphones, taking naps, making year-long plans or re-watching Modern Family.
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