Florida voter information webpage crashes on morning of Election Day
On Election Day morning, Florida’s online voter registration status tool appeared to crash due to record-high traffic.
Department of State spokesperson Mark Ard assured the public that voting operations were unaffected, noting that county Supervisor of Elections (SOE) websites remained operational for voters to check their registration status. What Ard described as the "state’s courtesy website encountered record-high traffic," he said. Ard recommended that voters experiencing issues with the state’s look-up page use their county SOE websites instead.
Despite these assurances, the outage sparked frustration from groups like the ACLU of Florida and Common Cause Florida.
Palm Bay Firefighters Face Extreme Hazards Battling Lithium-Ion Battery Blaze on Halloween
Last week, multiple Palm Bay Fire Rescue units responded to a major structure fire in the city’s southeast area. By the time firefighters arrived, the blaze had already spread across 25% of the building, producing heavy smoke and intense flames that required extended hose lines to secure a water supply.
Firefighters' efforts were further complicated by the discovery of several large lithium-ion batteries stored in the garage and numerous smaller ones. These posed additional risks due to their tendency to ignite or explode when exposed to high temperatures, creating intense flames and significant challenges in fire suppression.
Lithium-ion batteries are known for their volatility, especially when damaged or overheated, adding to the risks and difficulty of containing the fire.
Widespread misinformation around this year’s elections continues to concern officials nationwide.
Some national, nonpartisan groups have been working to debunk false narratives all year. They’re also using new methods to combat emerging technologies and incorrect information.
On social media, the nonpartisan League of Women Voters has been posting videos about the voting to try to correct false rumors about the overall process. The group also runs Vote411, an online voter guide platform, and relies on support from members on the ground.
According to Celina Stewart, CEO for the League of Women Voters of the United States, “this year, the worry is about the use of AI deepfakes to spread those inaccurate messages.
Earlier this year, Senators held a hearing about cracking down on AI deepfakes in elections.
At least 20 states have passed laws regulating deepfake use around elections, but Congress has yet to vote on the issue.
Despite no evidence of widespread fraud or rigged voting machines four years ago, many local administrators have increased transparency at their offices to combat misinformation.
Will people leave Florida after hurricanes?
Will hurricanes encourage Floridians to leave the state? Rick Glasby says history suggests not.
Up and down Florida’s storm-battered Gulf Coast, residents are deciding whether they should stay or go. Can they afford to rebuild? What will insurance cover? People considering moving to Florida are contemplating whether it’s worth the risk to come to a hurricane-prone state. These questions are coming up after a busy hurricane season.
If moves into the state offer any answer, then hurricanes have served little as deterrents. Florida’s population has grown by one-third to 23 million residents in the two decades since Charley, Frances, Jeanne and Ivan ravaged the state in 2004. On the other hand, there are signs that Florida’s real estate market has cooled. Sales of single-family homes were down 12% in September. But interest rates, rising home prices and skyrocketing insurance costs likely played bigger roles than the recent hurricanes.
More: www.floridatoday.com
