Political Expert: After RNC, Voter Turnout Should be Focus

While USF’s Government and International Affairs professor and Lutz resident , she’s also looking ahead to what will happen after the RNC ends Aug. 30.

In a Sayfie Review column Tuesday, MacManus examined who and where Florida’s Democrats and Republicans are.

“Following the conventions, everything will be about GOTV—getting-out-the-vote,” MacManus wrote. “That makes it imperative for candidates, campaign strategists, and party activists to know where their voters (and their opponent’s) are concentrated.”

According to Aug. 1 data, MacManus said among Florida’s 11,446,540 registered voters, Democrats make up 40 percent, Republicans make up 36 percent, Independents make up 20 percent, and minor parties make up 4 percent.

“Democrats still outnumber Republicans among Florida’s registered voters,” she wrote. “Republicans have never been the majority.”

Tampa Bay has Florida’s largest amount of registered voters with 24 percent, according to the column.

Based on figures from the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office, Hillsborough County has a total of 705,513 registered voters as of Aug. 28. Democrats make up 41 percent, Republicans make up 33 percent, and others make up 26 percent.

“In Florida, a swing state with massive electoral significance, candidates and their campaigns will have to pay careful attention to the demographic nuances of registration and voter turnout patterns in order to have a shot at winning the battleground state and the national election,” MacManus wrote. “… Turnout is the name of the game and turnout patterns have varied considerably in recent Florida elections politically and geographically.”

Will you get out and vote in November? Who are you supporting? Let us know in the comments section.