FOX 4 is tracking the latest updates on local and national races as voters in Southwest Florida head to the polls. This live blog will keep you updated on the latest in voting news and updates in our community.
Find out where to vote in your county & what you'll need here:
1:47AM
DDHQ and Fox News have projected Donald Trump will win the presidential election.
Trump locked up the victory over former Vice President Kamala Harris after DDHQ projected Pennsylvania going to Trump, giving him 19 more electoral votes, and putting him at the 270 threshold.
Trump has been watching the results come in from the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is expected to speak shortly.
The victory caps off a remarkable political comeback for Trump, who was impeached in the final days of his presidency in 2021. At the time, Democrats and many Republicans were critical of Trump for his actions prior to the riots at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump was indicted this year for his role in the events of Jan. 6. It’s unclear what will happen to the case, which is being prosecuted by the Department of Justice, once Trump returns to the White House.
The 2024 campaign has been anything but straightforward for Trump. For much of the year, he was favored to beat President Joe Biden in a rematch of the 2020 election. In late June, the pair debated in what would go down as one of the most consequential presidential debates in history. After President Biden struggled to clearly articulate his positions, he faced immediate backlash from his party. It would set the stage for the president to drop out of the race and endorse Harris to lead the Democratic ticket.
In addition to a change in opponent, Trump’s safety on the campaign trail was put into question after an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania in July. Trump was shot in the right ear as he was on stage talking to a large group of supporters.
1:25AM
DDHQ has called Pennsylvania for Donald Trump
11:35PM
Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk reports on the upsets on election night in Charlotte County.
10:40PM
DDHQ projects Donald Trump will win Georgia's 16 electoral votes. Click here for more election results.
10:15PM
Fox 4's Kaitlyn Knapp reports live from the watch party for Florida Senator Rick Scott, who won his reelection bid.
9:45PM
Tune in to Fox 4 News at Ten for the latest on the election results in Southwest Florida and across the state. Watch live here.
9:20PM
DDHQ projects Republican Denise Carlin will win the race for superintendent of Lee County Schools.
9:15PM
DDHQ projects Michael Gibson will win the race for Bonita Springs mayor.
9:10PM
DDHQ projects Republican Carmine Marceno will win the Race for Lee County Sheriff. Click here for more election results.
8:40PM
DDHQ projects voters will reject Amendment 4, which would have created a constitutional right to abortion in Florida.
8:35PM
Here's a statement from the "Vote No on 3 Campaign" on the projected rejection of Amendment 3.
Tallahassee, Fla. – The Vote No on 3 Campaign [no-on3.com] released the following statement today from its Director of Advocacy Dr. Jessica Spencer after Florida voters rejected Amendment 3 at the polls.“Even after spending over $150 million – the most in any drug legalization effort in American history – the people of Florida saw through Amendment 3’s web of deception and defeated this corporate power grab.“We are grateful for the unbending support of the Governor and First Lady of Florida, whose conviction, courage, and fearlessness – even in the face of Big Weed’s unprecedented $150-million cash bomb – was unwavering.“Here in the Free State of Florida, we protect our kids, our way of life, and our constitution.“As drug legalization marches across America, your state better hope it has a Governor like Ron DeSantis.”
8:15PM
DDHQ projects voters will reject Amendment 3, which would have legalized recreational marijuana in Florida.
8:00PM
DDHQ projects Republican Senator Rick Scott will win re-election.
DDHQ projects Donald Trump will win the state of Florida's 30 electoral votes.
7:55PM
DDHQ projects Republican Mario Diaz-Balart will win US House District 26. Click here for more results.
7:50PM
DDHQ projects Republican Byron Donalds will win US House District 19. Click here for more results.
7:45PM
DDHQ projects Republican Scott Franklin will win the US House District 18 race. Click here for more results.
7:30PM
According to DDHQ, Republican Greg Steube is projected to win the race for US House District 17. Use this live interactive map for the latest results:
7:15PM
Election results are starting to be reported now that the polls have closed in Florida. With 41% of precincts reporting Donald Trump is leading Kamala Harris. To track the latest results click here.
6:55PM
Polls are about the close in Florida. You can track the election results as they come in here.
6:45PM
Our Forrest Saunders has the latest from the Palm Beach Convention Center as former president Trump makes his final comments of his campaign.
6:10PM
There's just under an hour left until polls close in Florida. Remember, if you are in line at 7:00 PM you will still be able to vote!
6:00PM
Fox 4's Anvar Ruziev has the latest on an issue that prevented some people from checking their voter registration on the state website.
5:30PM
WATCH: Fox 4's Bella Line speaks with election officials about an issue that caused the amendments not to show up on some ballots at the Rotary Park polling site.
4:55PM
Watch Fox 4 news at 5:00 for the latest election day coverage in Southwest Florida! Our team of neighborhood reporters is standing by to bring you the latest from the polls.
4:45PM
You can track the number of people who have voted early and on election day for yourself on the Lee County Supervisor of Elections website https://www.lee.vote/Current-Election-Statistics.
According to that website, the unofficial voter turnout in Lee County right now is 383,866.
4:15PM
There's still time to get out and vote! Polls close in Florida at 7:00 PM. Election officials say any voters waiting in line at 7:00 PM will still have the opportunity to cast a ballot.
1:41 p.m.
No paper for the ballots?
Election workers at Babcock Ranch say they realized around 5:30 a.m that they didn't have paper for the ballots.
The Elections supervisor's office was called, and paper was rushed to the precinct - arriving about five minutes after 7 a.m.
A source tells FOX 4 that voters had to wait a few minutes after the polls opened; yet, everyone waited and voted.
1:21 p.m.
Florida's Secretary of State says when he believes you can see election results in Florida
"We've been touting that Florida is the gold standard for elections administration. When voters go to the polls in Florida, they know their vote is going to be counted, it's going to be counted accurately, it's going to be counted timely, and they can trust in the results. I think you're going to see before you go to bed tonight...the results in Florida."
-Secretary of State of Florida Cord Byrd
1:13 p.m.
Hear from Florida's Secretary of State who says more 560,000 have voted in the State of Florida as of Tuesday morning.
1:06 p.m.
Voter Information Lookup Error
Some users attempting to find voter information on the Florida Department of State's website encountered the screens below:
A viewer who tell us they are registered, and have previously used the site shared this screen:
We reached out to the Florida Department of State.
Here's what they told us:
"Voting operations have not been impacted in any way. The county Supervisor of Elections' website are still operable for any voter to look up their registration status. The state's courtesy website is encountering record-high traffic. Any voter having difficulty utilizing the state courtesy look-up page should go to their county SOE webpage for the same service."
- Florida Department of State to FOX 4
12:48 p.m.
Ballot Concerns at a Cape Coral polling location
FOX 4 reached out to the Lee County Elections Office regarding ballot concerns at a polling location in Cape Coral.
The office tell us a few ballots at the precinct located at 5505 Rose Garden Road did not have a printed back page. A representative for the office says any voter who received an incomplete ballot was given a replacement ballot.
"Although the issue has been resolved, our poll workers are making sure to double-check before handing out voters their ballots."
11:58 a.m.
Former President Donald Trump has cast his ballot in Palm Beach.
10:14 a.m.
We're starting to see more voters make their way to the polls.
These pictures are from Miyoshi Price who is reporting from the Estero Recreation Center.
9:26 a.m.
Big Question: When can we expect results?
8:12 a.m.
Need a ride to the polls?
Uber & Lyft might be an option for you - a ride that comes with a discount, too.
7:25 a.m.
Gulf Coast Church of Christ is the largest polling location in Fort Myers.
The lines at this location are nearly non-existent - likely due to a record number of early voters.
See FOX 4's Miyoshi Price's report below:
7:21 a.m.
If you haven't voted yet, you will see Amendments 3 & 4 on your ballot. Here's a breakdown of both:
7:00 a.m.
Polls are officially open in Southwest Florida, and they are scheduled to close at 7 p.m. An important note here: If you're in line by 7 p.m., you can still cast your vote.
6:53 a.m.
Reminders for mail-in ballots: If you still have a mail-in ballot, you can drop it off today. Election officials remind you not to mail it at this point - as it will not count. If you need to vote in person, you can go to your assigned precinct with your mail-in ballot for further assistance.
