Hand of person casting a vote – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by roibu
Elections officials in Florida disclosed that there are one million more Republican registered voters than Democratic ones, so solidifying the state’s reputation as a conservative stronghold.
Data provided this weekend by county elections supervisors shows that there are 5.3 million registered Republican voters and 4.3 million active Democratic voters. Roughly 3.9 million votes are either independents or members of minor parties.
Given how fast the state’s political climate shifted to the right, it is remarkable. Democrats have a 97,000 voter registration advantage over Republicans in 2020. Republican voter registration has quickly increased since then.
According to a statement from Florida Republican Party chair Evan Power, the party has declared itself “the most successful party in the nation” and thus, having this significant advantage in voter registration is a gain for the party.
It’s unfortunate for the Democratic Party of the state, though, as they already suffered severe setbacks in 2022 because to Republican Governor Ron DeSantis’s 19-point victory in his reelection, which contributed to a statewide reddening in historically blue counties and local elections. Before the general election in November, Democrats have held onto hope that Florida will regain its status as a swing state.
Democrats sometimes cite demographic changes in Florida as a contributing factor to the state’s advantage in voter registration, as DeSantis’s rise to prominence as the head of the GOP’s opposition to epidemic public health initiatives brought in a sizable infusion of new voters. Between 2020 and 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau predicted that, on average, 667 more individuals migrated into the state than left it; however, the agency did not break down the population’s political affiliation.
Another rule, supported by Republicans, went into force last year and severely restricted the activities of third-party organizations that registered voters on behalf of minorities and college-age voters, who typically support Democrats. The bill, among other things, increased the penalty from $1,000 to $250,000 for infractions such as hiring a volunteer who is not a citizen or submitting paperwork to the incorrect county. It also shortened the period of time that organizations had to return registration forms—from 14 to 10 days.
The Florida Democratic Party chair, Nikki Fried, referred to the voter registration edge as “empty rhetoric.”
In a statement, she said, “Florida Democrats have won elections like the Jacksonville mayor’s race and the flip of State House District 35, both of which demonstrated a growing lack of enthusiasm for the Republican Party and an increasing number of Independent voters rejecting extremism in Florida. While Florida Republicans have spent years dismantling voting rights to inflate their numbers and take victory laps on the voter registration gap,” she said.
Fried reported that the state has seen a surge of 18,000 volunteers joining the Florida Democratic Party since Vice President Kamala Harris entered the presidential campaign, referring to this as a “massive momentum shift.”
In November, voters in Florida will also decide on two constitutional amendments: one that will guarantee the right to an abortion and the other that will legalize marijuana. With regard to these causes, which are mostly backed by their party, Democrats have expressed great optimism for success. Since abortion referendums have benefited Democrats in other states, pollsters and political strategists, including those from opposing parties, indicated that these amendments put the state back in the political spotlight.
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Chris began his writing as a hobby while attending Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Today he and his wife live in the Orlando area with their three children and dog.
