2022 Midterm Elections: What you need to know for voting in Florida

The 2022 Mid-Terms are a major election in Florida with important races up and down the ballot. Florida Govenor Ron DeSantis has garnered a national profile during his tenure and has focused his campaign on many issues that have made him a possible frontrunner for the Republican nomination for president in 2024.

We will walk you through some of the major races as well as provide information on voter registration and early voting.

Is it too late to register to vote in Florida?

It is too late to register in the Sunshine State. The deadline ended on 11 October 2022. However, those who want to be sure they are eligible to vote in the next election can still register now.

Can I vote early in Florida?

Early voting differs from county to county, and one should check the specific rules in their area to see if they have the option to cast a ballot before Tuesday, 8 November.

State-Level Races

Florida voters will have a chance to determine who will fill five of the highest offices in the state.

Governor

Incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) currently leads in the polls against his Democratic challenger Charlie Crist.

DeSantis has been criticized for his response to the covid-19 pandemic, which killed over 86,000 Florida residents. The governor has defended his response saying, “The corporate media lied about Florida’s COVID response, and now study after study confirms that Florida did the right thing.” DeSantis’ campaign has provided no links to any of these studies. Additionally, the death rate based on the state’s population is far larger than states like California and New York, constant targets of the governor. Critically, it is important to consider that the majority of deaths that occurred in New York happened before vaccines became available to the public.

However, DeSantis remains quite popular in Florida, with a recent poll showing that 53 percent of voters supported the governor. Charlie Crist is familiar to many Florida voters as he served as governor from 2007 to 2011. Crist is running as a liberal challenger to DeSantis, but current polling shows that this may not be a winning strategy. Many Democrats were hoping that the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade would motivate voters, but just three weeks ago, forty-seven percent of Florida voters said that it made “No difference” in their decision to cast a ballot.

Lieutenant Governor

Attorney General

Chief Financial Officer

Agriculture Commissioner

US Senate and House of Representatives

Republican incumbent Marco Rubio faces a challenge from Congresswomen Val Demings. The race is much closer, with a recent poll from Florida Atlantic University found that Rubio was leading 47 to 42 percent.

Both candidates have been endorsed by former presidents of their respective parties, with Donald Trump throwing his support behind Rubio (after years of calling him Little Marco) and Barack Obama announcing his support for Demings earlier this week.

Since terms in the House of Representatives are only two years, Florida voters will have the chance to elect a new congressional delegation to send to Washington to represent their interests. Based on the information collected through the 2020 Census, Florida gained an additional seat in the House of Representatives.

Currently, of the twenty-six-person delegation, sixteen are Republicans, nine are Democrats, and two seats are vacant.