Florida Vote: Floods Close 21 Polling Sites

Heavy rains and extreme flooding forced at least 21 polling places to close and relocate across eight Florida counties on Tuesday. The disruptions occurred on Election Day for the state's general elections, affecting voters in Brevard, Broward, Highlands, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie counties. Officials confirmed that these sites moved to new addresses to accommodate residents whose usual locations were inaccessible due to the weather.

The state had seen high voter participation even before polls opened on Tuesday. The University of Florida Election Lab reported that about 40 percent of the 13.7 million registered voters in Florida had already cast their ballots. This total included nearly 5.46 million early votes, split between nearly 3.47 million in-person ballots and about 1.99 million mail ballots. Among registered Democrats, about 2.06 million or 37.8 percent voted early. For registered Republicans, that figure was about 2.92 million or 40.2 percent. Independent voters accounted for about 1.2 million early ballots, or 22 percent of their registration base.

Political leaders from both parties emphasized turnout during the week leading up to the vote. Nikki Fried, the Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman, stated in an emailed fundraising pitch on Monday that Democrats were showing up at rates not seen in years. She expressed confidence that maintaining that energy through Tuesday would help the party win the state. U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the Republican candidate for governor, anticipated a surge of Republican voters on election day. Donalds told the News Service of Florida during a podcast appearance that his party was focused on ensuring high turnout on Tuesday.

Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for seven counties on Monday at 12:30 p.m. The order covered Brevard, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Indian River, Martin, and St. Lucie counties, which experienced severe weather conditions and heavy rains in the days prior to the election. The declaration allowed local election supervisors to implement partial or substitute measures if they could not comply with standard state statutes for voting. These measures were subject to approval by the Florida Secretary of State.

Specific polling locations changed addresses due to the flooding. In Brevard County, precincts 307, 512, 525, and 309 moved to New Shiloh Christian Center in Melbourne. Precincts 306, 323, and 509 relocated to Joseph N. Davis Community Center in Melbourne, while precinct 517 moved to Palm Bay City Hall Council Chambers. In St. Lucie County, multiple precincts consolidated at the Port St. Lucie Community Center or the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center. Other affected sites shifted to churches, civic centers, and schools across the eight impacted counties.

Tim Bobanic, the Brevard County Supervisor of Elections, explained the relocations in a statement. He noted that moving precincts was necessary for the safety and security of election workers and voters. The Brevard County Supervisor of Elections office in Viera remained open on Tuesday for mail ballot drop-offs. Officials warned that voting locations in the affected counties could change further throughout the day if weather conditions worsened.

Rep. Brian Mast, who represents Florida’s District 21, urged voters to check their county websites before heading to the polls. He posted on X on Tuesday morning that safety should be the top priority for residents leaving their homes. Mast advised voters to monitor neighborhood conditions and confirm their polling place status, as more changes were possible if the flooding intensified.