Issues, Civic Duty Drive Voter Registration
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - At Miami-Dade's elections office there was a box office business as citizens registered to vote on the last day they could for the November General Election.
A sense of civic obligation drove some to action.
"I think it's important for everybody to vote, right. I think all votes count and it's important for everybody to register and do their duty," said Jack Yeager.
Neil Goswami became one of those new voters we've been hearing so much about.
"I along with my friends and everyone else my age should vote, should go to register to vote, just so they can make a difference," he said.
Issues drove some to register. The anti-immigration movement in the current administration moved Yvonne Bonfante.
"A lot of people that are like Mexicans or Latins or Chinese, they're always being questioned over who they are, Colombians, I think everybody should live equally," she said.
What could be a record midterm turnout in Florida is being driven by a tough run for governor between Democrat Andrew Gillum and former GOP congressman Ron DeSantis. Another race which has drawn a lot of interest is between Democratic US Senator Bill Nelson who is being challenged by Republican Gov. Rick Scott. An average of recent polls shows Nelson with a 2.4 percent edge over Scott, a statistical toss-up.
In the race for governor, an average of recent polls shows Gillum ahead of DeSantis by 3.7 percent, again too close to call.
Democratic Lt. Governor nominee Chris King spent part of Tuesday at Miami Dade College North, beating the voter registration drum, knowing turnout will turn the key races.
"We still believe that this will be a very close race. The last two gubernatorial elections were separated by one percent," King told to CBS4 News.
You can register to vote in Miami-Dade and Broward online until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday.
Miami-Dade sent out more than 300,000 vote by mail ballots on Tuesday today. Broward began sending theirs out last week.
Whether you're voting early or on election day, know this - your ballot will be long, at least four pages front and back, so you should get a handle on it before you vote.
"Prepare in advance. It's as easy as going to our website, looking at your customized ballot, and even print it out and bring it with you if you're voting," said Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Christina White.
- For more on Campaign 2018, click here.
- For more voter information, FAQ's and helpful links, click here.
- To see candidate interviews on CBSMiami.com, click here.
