Florida
Florida elections officials seek flexibility on voting rules after hurricanes
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida’s recent hurricanes could make it difficult for voters in affected areas to cast their ballots in the upcoming election unless Gov. Ron DeSantis waives and modifies some rules, county election supervisors said in a letter to state officials.
In a six-page letter sent Tuesday by the supervisors’ association to Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd, who oversees elections, the group said Hurricanes Helene and Milton have destroyed polling sites and left some of their employees, voters and poll workers homeless.
Most of the affected counties are on the Gulf Coast, where both storms caused major damage.
Association Executive Director David Ramba listed 10 modifications for DeSantis to consider including granting extra time for setting up early voting and drop box sites, giving voters flexibility in requesting mail-in ballots and waiving training for some poll workers. State law gives the governor authority to modify voting rules after hurricanes and other natural disasters.
Florida is expecting a large turnout as voters will be casting ballots for not only president and Senate but ballot propositions that would legalize marijuana and overturn the state’s newly enacted ban on abortion six weeks after conception. Early voting starts Monday in some Florida counties and most mail-in ballots have already been sent. The deadline for requesting a mail-in ballot is next week.
Ryan Cox, Ramba’s deputy, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the state’s election supervisors will be able get their polls open and ballots cast if given some flexibility. While Florida long had a reputation as a national laughingstock for its election problems, starting with the 2000 presidential recount, its 2020 and 2022 elections were conducted with almost no problems.
“These supervisors are very, very, very good at working through what they need,” Cox said. “They are very good at making decisions very quickly and modifying what their set plan was to make sure that every single person that wants to vote has an opportunity to do that.”
The group’s letter listed multiple Florida counties that experienced “significant damage” following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, with repeated mentions to counties surrounding Tampa Bay: Sarasota, Manatee, Pinellas and Pasco. The letter noted that multiple polling locations have been “destroyed or rendered inaccessible due to flooding and structural damage.”
Byrd’s office not respond to a request for comment Wednesday on whether the state would grant flexibility or accommodations. Byrd is appointed by DeSantis.
Following Helene, DeSantis did issue an executive order allowing counties to make changes to early voting sites and ease mail-in ballot restrictions. But he rejected the supervisors’ request to extend the Oct. 7 voter registration deadline. They said an extension was needed as some areas were cleaning up from Helene while also preparing for Milton.
Amy Keith, Florida executive director for the voting advocacy group Common Cause, said it and other groups have also sent a letter to DeSantis and Byrd asking them to extend the registration deadline because of the storms and to make other voting accommodations in the affected counties.
“I am extremely concerned that during this election, things will prove a lot more complicated for voters and their families who are still recovering from the catastrophic damages from both of these record-breaking storms,” Keith said.
TAMPA, Fla – New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.
What we know:
These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.
Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.
Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.
“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”
Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.
“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”
The other side:
This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
What they’re saying:
Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.
“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.
This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.
“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”
The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.
Big picture view:
The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.
The Source: Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.
“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.
What to expect
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
- 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
- 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
- Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.
For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.
Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.
Other Friday highlights included:
- 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
- 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
- 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
- 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
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With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A quiet Monday turned into a frantic race against time when a deputy stepped in to save a choking 1-year-old’s life.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call about a 1-year-old baby choking. Upon arrival, the responding deputy performed life-saving procedures to help the child breathe again.
See also: Two arrested after 6-year-old arrives at Florida school with bruises, deputies say
Body camera video shows a deputy holding the baby, flipping it over on its stomach, and beginning to pat the baby’s back.
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When the baby begins to cry, the deputy is heard saying, “he’s good.”
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