The Busiest Travel Days of the Year & Counting Votes 3 Weeks Later – Top 3 Takeaways – November 26th, 2024
- What to know before you go. Today kicks off one of the three busiest travel days of the year in what’s expected to be record high travel this holiday season. And actually, all three of the busiest travel days for those flying are expected between today and Sunday according to the TSA. Speaking specifically about those who’re flying to their Thanksgiving Day destinations... According to the TSA, 2.8 million passengers will be flying today, 2.9 million tomorrow and just over 3 million will be in route back home on Sunday. What does that mean to you if you’re looking to fly too? Last year’s volume +6% to 7% more people. That also means it makes sense to check your flight’s status before you go – especially with a lot of air traffic that’s set to potentially be impacted by snow...and ice and the like over the next few days with a system rolling from the midwest through the northeast. If you’re flying, another handy tool is the MyTSA app which provides real-time wait times for Palm Beach International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport along with most across the country. Knowing your flight’s status is important. So too is knowing how long it’s taking passengers to clear security. But what’s happening in the air pales in comparison to what’s happening on the ground. AAA anticipates a total of nearly 72 million drivers will hit the road between today and next Monday traveling at least 50 miles to their Thanksgiving and post-Thanksgiving destinations. That means it makes sense to check the volume of traffic on the roads before you plot your course across our state lest you be stuck in traffic and made to wait. And how long can you be expected to wait due to traffic? AAA estimates that during peak travel times it will take up to 69% longer to get from point A in Florida to point B. Planning your time to travel strategically is the key. And where are people going? To us for the most part. The top three travel destinations, and four of the top six in the country, are in Florida. Orlando, as per usual, is the top Thanksgiving destination in the country followed by Miami at #2, Fort Lauderdale at #3 and Tampa checking in at #6. And course when you have that many people driving into and through South Florida, all our communities along the east coast of Florida will see the impact on the roads. I don’t blame the rest of the world for wanting to be where we already are – especially with the amazing weather we have in store for us this week. But that does mean that just getting to and from work is likely to be as challenging as it’s ever been during heavy traffic times over starting today into next week.
- Still counting votes. We’re now three weeks removed from Election Day. And while President-elect Donald Trump has been nominating cabinet picks at record speed, convoluted voting procedures in several states have votes being counted at the slowest speed on record in five states. To date ten states, including Florida – the third largest in the country, haven’t just finished counting votes. They’ve certified the vote totals meaning the entire process is done. California, Mississippi, New York, Oregon and Utah on the other hand...just can’t seem to get there. Each of those states still have at least 2% of the vote outstanding. This is absurd for many reasons but it’s especially notable because there are still three close House elections that have yet to be decided. As it stands now, Republicans have won a narrow House majority with 219 to 213 seats. However, with President-elect Trump having nominated three House Republicans to his cabinet, even that narrow six seat lead isn’t as big as it seems. Of the three outstanding House races that have yet to be decided, Republicans are showing leads in two with Democrats up in one. The current lay of the land still projects to a 221-214 advantage – one that could shrink to 218 to 214 until special elections take place in these districts. There is a universe where if by chance, or somehow, Democrats were to win all three of the outstanding elections and if by the new congress we don’t have new members that become part of Trump’s cabinet replaced through special elections, there could be a 216-216 tie for a time. Again, it’s unlikely, but the point is this. As President Trump continues to round out his cabinet picks without knowing in advance where the final margin in the House stands, you can rest assured he’s not in a position to pick any more officials from the House, because choosing even one more would come with the potential of losing control of the House at the start of the next congress. But the broader point is this.
- There’s no excuse. In Florida, and in Broward and Palm Beach County specifically, we know what it’s like to run the worst elections in the country. That’s what we used to do. But, starting with the 2020 election cycle we also know what it’s like to run the best elections in the country. There’s simply no excuse for any state to take over three weeks to count votes in an election. In Florida we know how greater than 99% of voters voted within the first hour and a half of the polls closing. There's no reason the rest of the country can’t do the same thing. It’s a choice not to. States like California, Oregon and New York have passed laws in recent years creating the process that has led to the slow tabulating of ballots in the name of “making it easier to vote”. In reality that’s a joke. Remember how we were told Georgia and Florida’s election integrity laws would lead to voter suppression? Far from it, Georgia and Florida have had record voter turnout since those laws were passed. Yes, states run elections. But no, the way these states run their elections isn’t acceptable just as was the case with the way Florida used to count votes. In Florida we passed a series of laws streamlining the election process across the state following recommendations from Florida’s local government efficiency task force. As DOGE takes on the federal government, a topic that’s worth exploring is standardization in the vote tabulation and reporting for federal elections. If states want to take three weeks or more for state and local elections so, be it if the voters of that state tolerate it. But for federal elections that should never be the case, and it doesn’t have to be the case. Reforming voting procedures and vote counting should be one of many ways the incoming administration should seek to make America Florida. Or even semi competent...