Flooding Forces Polling Place Changes for 33 Precincts in Florida

Widespread flooding in Florida on Tuesday has caused election officials to move polling places across the state for Tuesday’s election.

Thirty-three polling precincts located in eight counties had to be moved, according to the Florida Division of Elections.

Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on Monday declaring a state of emergency in affected counties. That allowed election officials to designate temporary polling places when original sites were unsafe.

The National Weather Service reported that more than two feet of rain had fallen in southern Brevard County, with widespread flash flooding along the state’s east coast.

Motorists were warned by the National Weather Service about flash floods and not to drive on flooded roads.

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“Turn around, don’t drown,” the National Weather Service said. “Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.”

Repeated bouts of heavy rain since early Sunday have dumped more than 20 inches around Melbourne, Palm Bay, and Malabar in southern Brevard County, according to the National Weather Service.

Flash flooding closed roads and stalled vehicles in the Melbourne and Palm Bay areas. Floodwaters also entered homes farther south in West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, and Palm Beach Gardens.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said in a post on X he has been in contact with county sheriffs in the area impacted by the flooding.

“Please be safe. Floodwaters can be deadly!” Scott said in the post. “If you see standing water, remember: turn around so you don’t drown.”

On social media, residents posted videos of flooded neighborhoods and cars half underwater.

Many of the people commenting on Byrd’s post said voters could not leave their driveway to get to a polling station and requested extra time, at least 24 hours, to be able to vote.

Matt Devitt, a meteorologist in Florida, posted several videos on his X account showing the impact of the flooding.

In one video, he showed a bus in Port St. Lucie on a street with water up to its wheels dropping off a student. As the student crossed the street, the water reached his knees, and it then reached his chest as he walked to his home.

In a photo he posted, there was a car turned upside down on its roof on a street completely torn apart and in shambles.

“This is a real picture,” Devitt said on X. “Shows the raw power of water during the historic flooding recently in Florida. This is along Port Malabar Blvd in Palm Bay. The area saw 20-24” of rain in less than 24 hours, flooding roads and even breaking them apart and washing them away like shown.”