For some Florida residents, voting takes over from hurricanes

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (Reuters) – Sissy Karr, owner of 14 rental properties in Panama City, Fla., Is a loyal Republican who voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidency. But she is too busy cleaning up the house. Hurricane Michael vote in Tuesday's elections.

Many of her rental units are still severely damaged by the storm that has shaken Karr, 55, and countless other people like her, with an apparently insurmountable workload, less than a month ago.

"My list today was endless. We will have rain in the next four days and tarpaulins on the houses, "she told Reuters. "Are you kidding? I can not imagine taking the time to go to vote.

Republican state and local leaders have made considerable efforts to increase participation in areas hit by hurricanes in Florida, Panhandle, a predominantly conservative rural area, considered essential to the prosperity of their party on ballot.

Bay and Gulf counties were particularly hard hit as officials opened eight large voting centers instead of dozens of local polls that were damaged or destroyed during the storm.

The advance vote has also been extended for a day or two, until Monday in Bay County, the only jurisdiction in Florida where voters could vote on the eve of the poll, according to Dave Ramba, president and local Republican advisor election supervisors. in all the state.

In the midst of telephone and internet cuts caused by the hurricane, Republican officials have posted thousands of signs around Bay County to alert voters of changes in location and voting times, said James Waterstradt, party chairman for the county.

David Ashbrook, a member of the Gulf County Republican Committee, said he remained concerned that the storm-induced upheavals would reduce voter turnout in his more remote communities.

"Our biggest problem is transportation. We have many people in outlying areas whose cars have been crushed, who are homeless, "he said. "Honestly, elections were the last thing many people thought of. It's sad too, because it's an important project for the GOP in Florida. "

Starting races

Two highly contested races in the country's most populous swing state are seen as the flag bearers of the elections, who will decide whether Trump's Republicans will retain control of the Senate and House of Representatives.

Opinion polls show Republican Gov. candidate Ron DeSantis is lagging behind Democratic challenger Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who is seeking to become the first black governor of the country. 'State.

The incumbent Democratic Senator, Bill Nelson, is also at the head of his Republican Governor, Governor Rick Scott.

A lower than normal turnout in Panhandle could hurt DeSantis and Scott.

Melissa Hutchinson, 51, said her husband and two adult sons were 100% behind Trump, on the outskirts of Panama City, where she runs a cleaning company.

But she wondered if she could afford to cut a tree by threatening to fall on her house and did not expect to be able to vote.

"That's what I have to do to resume my normal life," she said in front of her caravan house, which had no electricity or running water for two weeks and was still unheated on Monday.

Denise Bass, 56, a pediatric nurse attending a Republican rally in Lynn Haven on Sunday night, said she and her husband, George, 59, and their son, George Jr., 25, had managed to a large part of their neighborhood was ravaged.

About two weeks ago, they all sat down, filled out the ballots and posted them.

"It's our right. It's one of the few rights we have left, "she said.

Some have found some comfort in the fact that the disaster would also curb the participation of Democrats.

"I do not think this storm has said," Oh, we're going to demolish the homes of Republicans and not Democrats, "" Karr said.

"It did not matter if you were a poor renting a prefabricated house or a wealthy doctor with a big house in Bay Point. The storm has torn your belongings.