It’s Election Day. Do you know where your ballot is?
If you’re like almost 100 million people across the country, your ballot is already in the process of being counted. In Florida, almost 9 million people — or about 62% of registered voters — had already voted as of Sunday, the last day of early voting. In Miami-Dade, it was just over one million.
That breaks down to 489,278 vote-by-mail ballots and 513,623 people participating in early voting. Republicans started out leading the early voting numbers, but they have evened out. The last report from the Florida Division of Elections had them almost neck and neck at 183,264 GOP early voters and 183,667 Dems.
But there were still at least 180,293 absentee or “vote-by-mail” ballots out and about countywide as of Monday night.
Voters can still drop off their absentee or “vote-by-mail” ballots, but only at four locations. But the big expectation is for in-person voting, where Republicans are hoping for a Red Rush to crush — or soften — the Blue Wave.
People are nervous. Ladra has never seen an election that had likely and unlikely voters alike anxious AF about not just who will come out on top in the presidential, but also what will happen after if (when?) the base of the losing candidate refuses to accept the results.
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We are sick and tired of fighting with loved ones and ignoring friends on Facebook because they support the wrong candidate.
Here are the right candidates. Ladra’s slate. Because you asked for it:
- President: Joe Biden/Kamala Harris
- Congressional District 26: Debbie Mucarsel-Powell-Powell
- Congressional District 27: Donna Shalala
- Senate District 37: Jose Javier Rodriguez
- Senate District 39: Javier Fernandez
- State House District 103: Cindy Polo
- State House District 105: Maureen Porras
- State House District 110: Annette Collazo
- State House District 115: Franccesca Cesti-Browne
- State House District 116: Daniel Perez
- State House District 120: Clint Barras
- Miami-Dade Mayor: Daniella Levine-Cava
- Miami-Dade Commissioner District 3: Gepsie Metellus
- Miami-Dade Commissioner District 5: Eileen Higgins
- Miami-Dade Commissioner District 7: Raquel Regalado
- Miami-Dade Commissioner District 9: Kionne McGhee
- Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts: Harvey Rubin
Some readers may have noticed a trend here. Yes, there are more Democrats than Republicans. A lot more. And yes, that is by design. I mean, Joe Biden se cae de la mata. Because we can’t possibly give more legitimacy to Donald Trump’s fascist and dangerous ideas and values. Even he doesn’t believe his own lies, people.
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Ladra was going to vote for State Rep. Vance Aloupis, who some colleagues (including Dems) have said is doing a pretty good job at least in respect to constituent services.
But this is an opportunity not just to change the direction in which our national and local political direction and rhetoric is going, it’s a rare opportunity to send a clear message to the Republican Party that, no, it’s not okay to blow the dog whistle and call everyone they disagree with a commie. That they can’t decide what is fake and what is real news. That they can’t just stand by and allow our institutions to be dismantled. These commercials about the chaos and open street riots that will ensue if Democrats are elected are an insult to the intelligence of every American voter and should be rejected. Just so they don’t try to do it again. They need to hear our voice loud and clear.
But if you want to reward Republicans for bungling Florida’s unemployment system and failing to expand Medicare and putting guns in the hands of our school teachers, go ahead. You shouldn’t reward bad behavior but the important thing is that the turnout is yuge.
Get out there and vote if you haven’t already. This is too important to your future to let someone else make the decision without you.
Even if we don’t really know the results until Wednesday. Or Thursday. Or Friday.