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Florida Likely To Play Prominent Role With Just Six Days To Go Before Election Day

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - With just six days to go all eyes are on the state and what will happen when it's time to count those votes. Nearly 7 million Floridians have already voted either by mail or in person, 1.3 million of them in South Florida.

Increasingly, South Florida is going to figure prominently into this national election.

No one is taking anything for granted.

That is why Joe Biden is visiting Broward County on Thursday and President Trump heads to Miami.

Increasingly, the election is dependent on voter turnout.

CBS4 was there as a Broward election office courier made the rounds Wednesday picking up mail-in ballots at a Fort Lauderdale post office.

To avoid any tie up and ballots not making it to the Broward equipment center in Lauderhill, the Broward Elections Department has worked an agreement with the
postal service to 'not' have mail-in ballots travel to Opa-locka for processing.

Instead, ballots will stay within the county and be picked up at Local post offices.

In this election, mail-in ballots will not be processed in Opa-locka, but picked up locally.

On Wednesday, Broward's Deputy Elections Supervisor Mary Hall told the canvassing board that the vote-by-mail count is now 388,957.

The number of mail-in ballots pouring in is shattering old records in South Florida. Early voting seems to be leveling off.

CBS4 asked voters at one polling place what's driving their vote.

"I am less concerned with taxes than I am in improvements. So I'm willing to pay more in taxes for improvements," Harry Moraitis said. "I believe in global warming. If you live here and you don't, you have to be an idiot. It's flooding every other week around here."

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"We need strong leadership and stop playing games. Act like a bunch of professionals and stop cutthroating each other," said Margaret Fielding.

In Miami-Dade, while Democratic turnout is strong, within the Republican Party more voters are turning out.

"It's a little concerning. Yes, because we know that if Democrats were matching Republican turnout right now in Miami-Dade that'd be an extra 39,000 votes," said Kevin Cate.

Cate is a Democratic Party strategist, he says Miami-Dade is crucial for winning the state of Florida.

"Florida is a luxury for Joe Biden is a necessity for Donald Trump. If Donald Trump loses Florida, he is almost certain to lose the entire election. He'll lose states like Arizona and other states that look and sound like Florida."

And although a lot of mail-in ballots have been returned, Cate tells CBS4 that statewide, there are still 800,000 Democrats who have not returned their mail-in ballots.

RELATED: Campaign 2020 Voters Guide

Although Tuesday was a week before the election, the post office is saying that you can still mail a ballot, but if you do not want a chance it, take your ballot to one of the early voting places.

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