Florida Midterm Turnout Hits 60.9 Percent

Florida’s midterm election concluded with a 60.9 percent voter turnout, marking the second-highest participation rate in the state over the past three decades. The total number of votes cast reached 8.3 million, a figure that reflects a sharp increase in civic engagement compared to the previous cycle.

This year’s turnout exceeded the 2022 midterm election by approximately 7 percent. However, it fell short of the 2018 election by two percentage points, the year Governor Ron DeSantis first took office. Secretary of State Cord Byrd attributed the high numbers to widespread enthusiasm among residents. Byrd stated that over 8 million Floridians chose to vote for representatives at the local, county, state, and federal levels.

DeSantis credited Amendment 3 for driving voter participation. He noted that the property tax proposal motivated many voters to come to the polls, with many subsequently supporting Republican candidates later on the ballot. DeSantis told reporters last Wednesday that without Amendment 3, the state likely would not have achieved the same level of turnout.

The amendment increased the non-school homestead property tax exemption from $50,000 to $250,000 over a two-year period. Nearly 62 percent of the 7.94 million voters who considered the measure approved it. Two other amendments on the ballot were rejected, drawing roughly 100,000 fewer votes than the property tax proposal.

Participation rates varied significantly across the state’s 67 counties, with every county recording a turnout above 50 percent. Sumter County, home to The Villages, recorded the highest rate at 73.6 percent. Jefferson County followed at 70.1 percent. Santa Rosa County in the western Panhandle had the lowest turnout at 51.9 percent. Among urban areas, Duval County recorded the lowest rate at 55.1 percent, while Palm Beach County reached 64.9 percent.

Approximately two-thirds of the 8.3 million votes were cast before Election Day through mail ballots or early voting sites. Officials have ordered machine recounts for one state legislative seat on the Space Coast and one Congressional seat in South Florida. The state Elections Canvassing Commission will confirm the unofficial results at a meeting scheduled for November 17.