Florida News That Impacts You – August 20th, 2024
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- It’s Florida’s Primary Election Day. Polls will be open from 7 am to 7 pm statewide today. Voters must vote at their assigned precincts today. Information may be found by visiting the supervisor of elections webpage. Over 1.9 million Floridians have voted either by returned vote-by-mail ballots or early voting. Republicans have outvoted Democrats by about 143,000 votes statewide.
- Martin County officials are asking residents who recently mailed in ballots to ensure their vote was counted. A mail theft operation has been discovered in the county that’s claimed at least 31 victims of various forms of fraud between July 31st and August 15th. Martin County Supervisor of Elections Vicki Davis is imploring voters who mailed in ballots to use the “ballottrax” feature on the supervisor’s website to track ballots to ensure they are counted in advance of today’s election. Voters who’ve received vote-by-mail ballots that haven’t been accounted for may have them canceled and vote in person today.
- The Palm Beach Police Department has reached an agreement with the Secret Service that will keep S. Ocean Blvd. in the vicinity of Mar-a-Lago open when the former president isn’t at his residence. With Donald Trump frequently on the campaign trail that will leave the road open most of the time. An agreement was reached with the Secret Service and Coast Guard to lessen the restrictions on drawbridge openings near Mar-a-Lago.
- It’ll be hot again today with afternoon thunderstorms possible and highs in the lower 90’s. Temperatures will be about 6 degrees warmer than usual for this date. Hurricane Ernesto continues to churn towards the northern Atlantic as it passes by Nova Scotia on its way towards the north central Atlantic over the next couple of days. No other tropical systems are expected to develop over the next seven days.
- Gas prices rose 5 cents per gallon statewide on Monday although prices locally dropped slightly. The average price for regular unleaded in Florida is currently $3.34 per gallon. In Palm Beach County the average price is $3.47 per gallon, in Martin the average is $3.26 and in Indian River County the average is $3.28 per gallon.