Trump Votes Early in Florida, Then Rallies Republicans in Georgia

Trump Votes Early in Florida, Then Rallies Republicans in Georgia

A Saturday Ballot in West Palm Beach

President Donald Trump cast his midterm ballot early on Saturday, October 24, alongside first lady Melania Trump at the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections office in West Palm Beach. According to the Associated Press, Trump spent the morning at his nearby golf course before arriving at the polling site at about 3:58 p.m., telling reporters "everything is good" as he walked in. Wearing an "I Voted" sticker afterward, he said he had voted for Republicans across the Florida ballot, answering "Very much so" when asked whether he had voted the party line.

Voting in Person After Years of Attacking Mail Ballots

Trump has long railed against mail-in voting even as he drew criticism for voting by mail himself, so his in-person appearance carried a message. The New York Post reported that he spent the night at Mar-a-Lago between campaign rallies and, hours before voting, urged supporters on Truth Social in other early-voting states to cast ballots however they can. The optics were unmistakable: a president who once denigrated early and mail voting now modeling it for his own base.

Florida's Governor Race Takes Center Stage

The marquee contest on Trump's Florida ballot is the governor's race to succeed term-limited Ron DeSantis. Trump has endorsed Republican Representative Byron Donalds, who faces David Jolly, a Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat. Polling shows a tight race: a University of North Florida survey published October 21 put Donalds at 49 percent to Jolly's 47 percent, with 4 percent undecided and a margin of error of 2.81 points, while another survey had Donalds ahead 50 percent to 42 percent. In Palm Beach County, early voting runs October 19 through November 1, daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. across 28 sites, with Election Day set for November 3.

From the Polls to Perry: Swinging Through Georgia

From Florida, Trump flew to a rally in Perry, Georgia, backing Senate candidates including Mike Collins. Fox 5 Atlanta reported that more than 1.6 million Georgians had already voted since early voting opened October 13, with in-person early voting continuing through October 30. On stage, Trump blasted Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff as a "far-left extremist," blamed Democratic policies for inflation and illegal immigration, and promised new jobs and investment for the state.

A Turnout Test for Both Parties

The midterms are widely seen as a referendum on Trump's second term, and both parties are banking on banked early votes. By voting early and in public, Trump gave Republican voters both permission and a push. With ten days to go, expect him to keep barnstorming battleground states while both parties watch the early-vote tallies — Florida and Georgia will begin reporting results after polls close on November 3.