| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Presented by Facebook | Hello and welcome to Tuesday. 2020 BY THE NUMBERS — So far, 3,805,775 vote-by-mail ballots have been cast in the November election, according to the latest information on the state Division of Elections website. Of those, 1,788,278 have come from Democrats and 1,179,541 have come from registered Republicans. Overall, there are more than 2.18 million mail ballots requested but not yet returned. Of those, more than 890,000 are held by Democrats and nearly 688,000 are with Republicans. A total of 2,212,655 voters have cast ballots at an early voting site. Of those 1,020,877 were Republicans and 766,794 are Democrats. Humming along — Are Florida Republicans starting to kick into gear? Cutting into the lead — This morning, new early voting and vote-by-mail numbers are expected to show that Republicans shaved off more of the Democratic advantage Monday in the Sunshine State. It's not clear how big a leap it could be, but one estimate gleaned unofficially show the Democrats may have a roughly 300,000 vote advantage with one week to go before Election Day. More than 6 million votes have already been cast and the number keeps growing. Magic 8-Ball — Let's be clear: Even if that estimate is correct Democrats still have a sizable lead in the state that will prove pivotal to President Donald Trump's re-election effort. And that advantage doesn't include votes cast by independent and third party voters. Both Democrats and Republicans see what they want to see in the numbers and both have their reasons for optimism. Questions — Here's what we still don't know: Who will the millions of independent voters support? Will Republicans vote in the numbers GOP consultants are expecting — or will some, particularly older voters loyal to Trump four years ago, sit on the sidelines this around due to the president's handling of coronavirus? And if turnout does hit 80 percent, especially in counties such as Miami-Dade, then all these numbers thrown out lately may wind up being a blip. Here's what we do know — If turnout matches what it was in 2016, then about 55 percent of voters have already cast ballots with a week to go. That in of itself just shows how 2020 isn't going to behave like previous elections. — WHERE'S RON? — Gov. DeSantis is scheduled to be in Tallahassee in the morning and in Central Florida in the afternoon. The daily rundown — Between Sunday and Monday, the number of Florida coronavirus cases increased by 3,377 (0.4 percent), to 782,013; active hospitalizations are up 29 (1.3 percent), to 2,248; deaths rose by 20 (0.1 percent), to 16,449. ELECTIONLAND: POLITICO is partnering with Electionland , a ProPublica project that works with newsrooms to track voting issues around the country. The Electionland project covers problems that prevent eligible voters from casting their ballots during the 2020 elections. We're part of a coalition of newsrooms around the country that are investigating issues related to voter registration, pandemic-related changes to voting, the shift to vote-by-mail, cybersecurity, voter education, misinformation, and more. Tell us here if you're having trouble voting. | | | | A message from Facebook: A vote counted is a voice heard
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|  | TRAIL MIX | | POWER CENTER — "Florida's top prosecutor once sued Trump. Now she's fighting for his reelection," by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody ran on a promise to keep her office out of politics. Two years later, she's become one of Donald Trump's biggest surrogates in the nation's biggest swing state. Moody, a former college Democrat whose family once sued Trump over a condominium dispute, has jumped into conservative causes with gusto, attending presidential campaign rallies and stepping out as a defender for the GOP president. She's making appearances on right-wing media and has become a voice for the Republican Attorneys General Association. In the run-up to the election, the former judge has taken on billionaire Michael Bloomberg and joined 10 other Republican attorneys general backing the Justice Department's lawsuit against Google. And she could be at the center of the post-election fallout if the results in Florida are called into question. | 
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody speaks during a roundtable discussion with President Donald Trump and law enforcement officials, Monday, June 8, 2020, at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) | EVERY VOTE COUNTS — "Florida Democrats expand push to fix flawed mail-in ballots," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: Florida Democrats have launched an offensive to track and quickly fix rejected vote-by-mail ballots as they work to seize every last vote in the swing state a week ahead of Election Day. The raw number of rejected ballots that Democrats can hope to cure is small, maybe in the thousands, but in a state where races are decided on the thinnest of margins, they could be enough to sway the outcome. "The curing process could play a huge role in how this whole thing shakes out," said incoming House Democratic Leader Evan Jenne, who is helping coordinate his party's state house races. "We will leave no stone unturned, and these types of things are a really important part of that strategy." RECORD SETTING? — "Florida voter turnout could approach 1992 mark, which had an 83% turnout," by News Service of Florida's Jim Turner: "Steve Schale, CEO of a Biden super PAC called Unite the Country, said Florida is 'headed towards record turnout here, just like we are everywhere in the country.' Schale pointed to evidence that Democrats have moved from a past emphasis of voting in-person to voting by mail, while Republicans have shifted from mailing in ballots or waiting until Election Day to early voting. But the election also includes many new voters and people who sat out past elections." — "Miami-Dade sees historic turn out in early voting," by CBS Miami's Frances Wang BEHIND THE CURTAIN — "How the Senate GOP's right turn paved the way for Barrett," by POLITICO's Burgess Everett and Marianne LeVine: One day after Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, President Donald Trump told Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that "lots of people" thought Barbara Lagoa would be the best pick for the Supreme Court. After all, the Cuban American judge from Florida could give a huge political boost to the president in a key swing state. McConnell had a rebuttal: Pick Amy Coney Barrett instead, according to GOP leadership and White House aides. McConnell argued Barrett, an ardent social conservative, would have the best chance of uniting the party — and if Trump even thought of picking someone else, he needed to call McConnell and give him a chance to change the president's mind. Rubio tried to sway Trump — Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) appealed to Trump on Lagoa's behalf and Trump responded that he "heard great things about her and liked her a lot," Rubio recounted. But the Appeals Court judge was also seen as a gamble. "Lagoa is a great judge but just no real paper trail, no real sense of what she would do even as a circuit judge," said a person familiar with the nomination process. "Amy had three years under her belt. It seemed like the White House was running around trying to do anything but Amy." | | | | JOIN WEDNESDAY - SPACE, THE FINAL ECONOMIC FRONTIER: The quest for resources and other economic benefits is space exploration's new frontier. Commercialization and public-private partnerships are increasingly common, a trend that will likely continue. What will a future space economy look like, and what role will the U.S. play in achieving it? What policy and regulatory issues must be tackled as space commerce grows? And what obstacles and opportunities lie ahead? On Wednesday, Oct. 28, join POLITICO for a virtual, deep-dive conversation exploring the opportunities and challenges of the fast-growing space economy. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | NO SALE — "U.S. intelligence won't brief Florida delegation on 'spoofed' emails tied to Iran," by Miami Herald's Ana Ceballos: "The office of the Director of National Intelligence on Monday turned down the Florida congressional delegation's request to be briefed on the claim that foreign governments have targeted voters to sow disinformation in the upcoming election, including through hundreds of emails sent to Florida voters last week. Florida U.S. Reps. Stephanie Murphy, a Central Florida Democrat, and Michael Waltz, a Republican from Northeast Florida, had asked for an FBI briefing for the delegation by Oct. 30 to find out more about the "nature and extent of Iranian and Russian efforts to undermine the 2020 election in our state." SPOTLIGHT — "Who is Peter Antonacci, the Republican in charge of presidential voting in overwhelmingly Democratic Broward County?" by Sun Sentinel's Anthony Man: "Performing in the perpetual circus of Florida elections, Peter Antonacci is swinging on a trapeze — while juggling flaming torches above a pool of alligators. Each move he makes is scrutinized by packs of lawyers, watched by the media and analyzed by politicians. The slightest mistake could tar his decades-long career in government, bring national embarrassment to Broward County — and could even affect who becomes the next president." FOREIGN ENTANGLEMENTS — "After GOP endorsement, ambassador asks Colombian lawmakers to stay out of U.S. election," by Miami Herald's Alex Daugherty, Michael Wilner and Bianca Padro Ocasio: "In the final weeks before Election Day, Colombian politicians have popped up in South Florida politics, offering messages of support on social media for Republican candidates like President Donald Trump and Miami-Dade mayoral candidate Steve Bovo. But on Monday, the U.S. ambassador in Bogotá sent a message via Twitter: Colombian politicians should stay out of U.S. elections. The tweet came after Republican congressional candidate Maria Elvira Salazar posted a video on Sunday of her on a video call accepting the endorsement of former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe." TRICKERY — "Independent candidate in Jason Brodeur-Patricia Sigman race backed by ads linked to GOP consultant," by Orlando Sentinel's Annie Martin: "A secretive group behind ads for a little-known independent candidate in the fiercely competitive state Senate race that pits Republican Jason Brodeur against Democrat Patricia Sigman has ties to a GOP consultant in Tallahassee. Recent mailers tout Jestine Iannotti, a third candidate in the District 9 race who has not sat for interviews and issued a press release requesting 'privacy' during her campaign. The ads make progressive promises with wording about climate change and holding police accountable in an attempt to appeal to Democrats, which could potentially siphon votes away from Sigman." THAT TIME OF YEAR — "Dolores Guzman responds to false claims in Republican ad," by The Daytona Beach News-Journal's Mark Harper: "Same attack, different candidate. The Republican Party of Florida ad has falsely claimed a second Democratic House candidate from Volusia County has taken a position on police funding that she has not taken. An attack on Dolores Guzman, Democratic candidate for Florida House District 27, uses the same language and images as a similar ad against Democrat Patrick Henry, who's running for the House District 26 seat. Both claim the candidates support 'defund the police' efforts, with a voice-over claiming, 'Here's the proof.' The ad then shows an image of the names of candidates who've signed a pledge for Future Now Fund, a political action committee that is providing funding to Democratic candidates in close state Legislature races." LIST TIME — "Here is the 2020 edition of The Influence 100: The most influential people in Florida politics," by Florida Politics' Peter Schorsch: "There are no elected officials or agency heads on the list. That's for two reasons: the first being that, of course, the Governor of Florida is the most influential person in the state. The second is that the power of most officeholders is with their position and (mostly) they don't take it with them once they leave. Instead, the INFLUENCE 100 includes all the other masters of the universe: The Players, The Thought Leaders, The Lobbyists, The Titans, The Counselors, The Media, The Industry Leaders, The Advocates, The Wonks, and The Legends." — "Florida man bulldozes Biden campaign signs with stolen rig, police say," by Associated Press — "Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried votes early, stumps for Biden with labor unions," by Tallahassee Democrat's James Call — "Left-leaning PAC spends big to unseat Florida Republicans, but sits one race out," by Orlando Sentinel's Ryan Gillespie — "Elections supervisor: Voting is the best way for Floridians to prevent a statewide recount," by WKMG's Mike DeForest | | | |   | | | | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | ULTIMATUMS — "Large corporate landlords have filed 10,000 eviction actions in five states since September," by NBC News Gretchen Morgenson: "In early September, Cristina Velez lost her job running the staffing team on a Covid-19 treatment trial. Faced with a $2,440 rent bill on the Boca Raton, Fla., home she shares with her daughter, Velez began calling her landlord, Progress Residential, to ask whether it would give her time to come up with the money. 'I told them I was affected by Covid, but it didn't matter to them,' Velez said. 'They are not very patient.' On Sept. 8, Progress gave her an ultimatum — pay the rent or deliver the premises, a Palm Beach County court filing shows. Just over two weeks later, Progress filed eviction proceedings against Velez, demanding $4,210.14 in rent and legal fees, delivering the papers to her door. Not once, Velez said, did Progress representatives tell her about a nationwide eviction moratorium ordered by the federal government to let tenants hurt by Covid-19 stay in their homes if they couldn't pay their rent." STAYING ON MESSAGE — "At Florida Virtual School, DeVos praises online classes but says in-person best," by Orlando Sentinel's Leslie Postal: "U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos visited the Florida Virtual School's Orlando headquarters Monday, praising the state's online school as a 'model for the nation' but also saying education is 'best done in person for most kids.' The virtual school, in operation for more than 20 years, has become more popular this year as the coronavirus pandemic made more parents consider options outside Florida's 'brick and mortar' schools." — "Rick Scott says tourists won't come back to Florida until virus is in check," by Florida Politics' A.G. Gancarski — "No. 10 Florida, Mullen return to work after COVID outbreak," by Associated Press's Mark Long — "Court asked to reconsider school reopening fight," by News Service of Florida's Jim Saunders | | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | STARTING LINEUP — "DeSantis drafts Davis to run Florida Lottery," by News Service of Florida's Jim Turner: "Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday named John Davis, the executive vice president of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, to fill the long-vacant position of secretary of the Florida Lottery. Davis, a standout safety in the early 1990s when the Florida State Seminoles were annually in the hunt for the national football championship, has also served as president of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida and once held a leadership role at the Republican Party of Florida." | | | | DONT MISS - NEW EPISODES OF POLITICO'S GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS PODCAST: The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, but many of those issues exploded over the past year. Are world leaders and political actors up to the task of solving them? Is the private sector? Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, unpacks the roadblocks to smart policy decisions and examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. Subscribe for Season Two, available now. | | | | |
| | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | NEVER IN QUESTION — "Marco Rubio, Rick Scott vote to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court," by Miami Herald's Alex Daugherty: "Rubio and Scott indicated they would vote for Barrett days after President Donald Trump nominated her in September following the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Barrett's nomination gives conservatives a 6-3 majority on the nation's highest court ahead of oral arguments on a case that could overturn Obamacare, and potential litigation related to the outcome of next week's election. Rubio's statement on the confirmation emphasized politics and partisanship: 'Over the last few weeks, Judge Barrett has shown the American people that she is a well-qualified, highly respected nominee. Tonight's vote ensures that the radical left will have to pursue their socialist agenda the way the founders intended: through the legislative process, not through an activist judiciary.'" | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | COMING DOWN — "Pensacola begins removal of Confederate monument Monday," by Pensacola News Journal's Jim Little: "An 8-foot statue of a Confederate soldier that overlooked Pensacola for 129 years is no longer atop the 50-foot monument to Confederate soldiers and leaders, and the rest of the monument will soon also be removed. A work crew removed the statue of the soldier on top of Pensacola's Confederate Monument in Florida Square on Monday. The statue is of a Confederate soldier modeled on a painting called "After Appomattox" by John Adams Elder." — "Derby Lane plans layoffs as dog racing nears end," by News Service of Florida | | ...HURRICANE HOLE... | | HEADING NORTH — "Hurricane Zeta: Pensacola bracing for rain, tornadoes, storm surge," by Pensacola News Journal's Jake Newby: "More than a month after Hurricane Sally caught many Pensacola residents off guard, Northwest Florida is again bracing for a storm that is making its way toward the Gulf Coast this week. Shortly after 2 p.m. Monday, the National Hurricane Center confirmed that Zeta had officially strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour. Jack Cullen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mobile, Alabama, said Zeta is expected to weaken early Tuesday as it interacts with land on the Yucatan Peninsula and then regain hurricane status later in the day as it moves over the Gulf of Mexico." | | | | A message from Facebook: Explore Facebook's Voting Information Center
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| | ODDS, ENDS, AND FLORIDA MEN | | — "Jack-o-lantern found on the head of Andrew Jackson statue in downtown Jacksonville," by ActionNewsJax.com: "Someone appeared to be getting in the Halloween spirit in downtown Jacksonville on Monday, as a jack-o-lantern was found on the head of the statue of Andrew Jackson. A viewer shared a photo of the 'costume' with Action News Jax. The statue was also dressed up with a cape. The statue was vandalized twice during the summer, once in June and once in July." — "It's a boy — a big boy. White rhino born at Disney World," by Associated Press: "It's a boy — a big boy. A 150-pound (68-kilogram) white rhinoceros was born at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World in Florida over the weekend. The as-yet-named rhino was born to Kendi, who was the first white rhinoceros born at the animal theme park back in 1999." BIRTHDAYS: Bryan Glazer, co-chairman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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