The state Division of Elections sent an alert late Monday evening of the decision of several county election officials in places affected by severe rains and flooding to set up alternative polling sites to accommodate voters.
Officials in Brevard, Broward, Highlands, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties set up alternative polling sites for 21 original sites involving 30 precincts in areas where the original sites were damaged by flooding or the roads to get there were inundated or unsafe to travel.
A list of the affected sites and the new sites can be found on the Division of Elections’ website.
Secretary of State Cord Byrd stated on social media Monday evening if voters have questions about their polling place they should contact their local supervisor of elections.
Brevard, which set up alternative sites for six original polling places, and St. Lucie, which set up alternatives for seven polling sites, were the most affected.
“For the safety and security of our election workers and the voters of Brevard, it is necessary to relocate a couple of precinct polling locations due to these unprecedented circumstances,” Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Tim Bobanic said in a released statement.
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in seven counties: Brevard, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Indian River, Martin and St. Lucie.
Included in the order is a provision allowing local supervisors of elections in affected areas to designate new polling places for sites that are unsafe or where voters can’t get to them because the roads are blocked due to flooding. State law requires election officials to “designate a new polling place which shall be accessible to the public on election day” when under a state of emergency, and post notice at the old polling place telling voters about the alternative precinct.
Some of the affected areas saw between 15-20 inches of rain over a 36-hour period. That led counties like Brevard to cancel school for Monday and Tuesday, and close several roads made impassable by standing water.
Florida’s elections have been affected by natural disasters in the recent past. In 2024, DeSantis issued orders to ensure those affected by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton could vote, and did the same in 2022 after Hurricane Ian swept through southwest Florida in October of that year.
DeSantis’ predecessor, Rick Scott, issued an order allowing alternative polling sites to be used areas hit by Hurricane Michael in 2018.
Those incidents, though, came at least three weeks before Election Day, and the sudden nature of the heavy rains means voters will have less time to adjust to the changes.
