Trump and supporters gear up for election night in West Palm BeachCity of Sanibel to open time capsule for 50th anniversary
WEST PALM BEACH Trump and supporters gear up for election night in West Palm Beach All eyes are on the presidential election between Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump.
SANIBEL City of Sanibel to open time capsule for 50th anniversary It’s a chance to see what the past was like. 41 years ago, the city of Sanibel put items in a time capsule to be opened on the 50th anniversary of the city’s incorporation. On Tuesday, WINK News was there to see what people had to say about the island decades ago.
FORT MYERS BEACH Lee Commission approves contract to restore 2 waterfront parks on Fort Myers Beach The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to award a contract for the design of the restoration of two waterfront parks on Fort Myers Beach.
Direct approach to hip replacement Surgeons in the United States perform more than 500,000 hip replacements every year, and that number is only expected to increase as our population ages.
ARCADIA DeSoto County Jail employee accused of trafficking contraband into facility An employee at the DeSoto County Jail has been arrested after allegedly trafficking illegal contraband into the jail.
Soluna Restaurant & Bar launches at Bayfront in Naples Emulating its namesake fusion of the sun and moon, Soluna Restaurant & Bar has arisen to illuminate the Naples dining scene.
NAPLES CFO Jimmy Patronis reminds Floridians to check their constructor contracts for post-storm fraud The Florida Department of Financial Services’ Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis, will hold a news conference in Naples on post-storm fraud prevention.
Know where your voting precinct is in Southwest Florida Election Day is only one day away, so it is important to know where to go and if you qualify to vote in Southwest Florida.
The Weather Authority Tracking Tropical Storm Rafael; expected to become hurricane The Weather Authority Meteorologists are watching the Caribbean as Tropical Storm Rafael will strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane later Tuesday night.
The Weather Authority Scattered rain and storms on this Election Day The Weather Authority is tracking scattered rain and storms along with warm temperatures throughout this Election Day Tuesday.
Where to drop off your mail-in ballots on Election Day Those who still have their mail-in ballots in Southwest Florida have two options on Election Day: vote in person or drop them off at a specified location.
WINK NEWS Lee County race for Sheriff It is now Election Day, and two candidates for the Lee County Sheriff are vying for the position.
WINK NEWS Floridians to vote on legalizing recreational marijuana With Election Day in full swing, WINK News is monitoring the results of the most controversial amendments on the ballot, including Florida’s Amendment 3.
WINK NEWS How Floridians are voting on Constitutional right to abortions Besides Amendment 3, another of the more controversial amendments on the ballot is Amendment 4, which would limit government interference in abortions.
Collier County commission race As the 2024 general election gets underway, WINK News is monitoring the election results in several local races, including the Collier County Commission race.
WEST PALM BEACH Trump and supporters gear up for election night in West Palm Beach All eyes are on the presidential election between Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump.
SANIBEL City of Sanibel to open time capsule for 50th anniversary It’s a chance to see what the past was like. 41 years ago, the city of Sanibel put items in a time capsule to be opened on the 50th anniversary of the city’s incorporation. On Tuesday, WINK News was there to see what people had to say about the island decades ago.
FORT MYERS BEACH Lee Commission approves contract to restore 2 waterfront parks on Fort Myers Beach The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to award a contract for the design of the restoration of two waterfront parks on Fort Myers Beach.
Direct approach to hip replacement Surgeons in the United States perform more than 500,000 hip replacements every year, and that number is only expected to increase as our population ages.
ARCADIA DeSoto County Jail employee accused of trafficking contraband into facility An employee at the DeSoto County Jail has been arrested after allegedly trafficking illegal contraband into the jail.
Soluna Restaurant & Bar launches at Bayfront in Naples Emulating its namesake fusion of the sun and moon, Soluna Restaurant & Bar has arisen to illuminate the Naples dining scene.
NAPLES CFO Jimmy Patronis reminds Floridians to check their constructor contracts for post-storm fraud The Florida Department of Financial Services’ Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis, will hold a news conference in Naples on post-storm fraud prevention.
Know where your voting precinct is in Southwest Florida Election Day is only one day away, so it is important to know where to go and if you qualify to vote in Southwest Florida.
The Weather Authority Tracking Tropical Storm Rafael; expected to become hurricane The Weather Authority Meteorologists are watching the Caribbean as Tropical Storm Rafael will strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane later Tuesday night.
The Weather Authority Scattered rain and storms on this Election Day The Weather Authority is tracking scattered rain and storms along with warm temperatures throughout this Election Day Tuesday.
Where to drop off your mail-in ballots on Election Day Those who still have their mail-in ballots in Southwest Florida have two options on Election Day: vote in person or drop them off at a specified location.
WINK NEWS Lee County race for Sheriff It is now Election Day, and two candidates for the Lee County Sheriff are vying for the position.
WINK NEWS Floridians to vote on legalizing recreational marijuana With Election Day in full swing, WINK News is monitoring the results of the most controversial amendments on the ballot, including Florida’s Amendment 3.
WINK NEWS How Floridians are voting on Constitutional right to abortions Besides Amendment 3, another of the more controversial amendments on the ballot is Amendment 4, which would limit government interference in abortions.
Collier County commission race As the 2024 general election gets underway, WINK News is monitoring the election results in several local races, including the Collier County Commission race.
FILE – In this Oct. 26, 2020 file photo, an election worker sorts vote-by-mail ballots at the Miami-Dade County Board of Elections, in Doral. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) Democrats and Republicans in Florida have engaged legions of lawyers ready to rush to court at any sign of voter suppression, fraud or other political shenanigans in this year’s election. So far, the lawsuits have been few, but Florida is well-known for its legal battles in past elections. The main hot-button legal issue this year is the use and counting of mail-in ballots, which President Donald Trump has criticized as a potential source of fraud, but which both parties have promoted in Florida — especially during the coronavirus pandemic. Juanica Fernandes, executive director of the nonprofit State Voices Florida group that promotes voting and civic engagement, said hundreds of Florida mail-in ballots have already been rejected because of issues such as new addresses and mismatched signatures. Voters do have the right to “cure” these problems, but that may not be enough. “This leaves a voter without an opportunity to have their voice heard, and that’s not acceptable,” Fernandes said. “What’s happening is they are not counting the ballots at all.” A week ahead of Tuesday’s election, advocates said about 21,000 mail-in ballots had been flagged in Florida because of a signature problem. About a third of those had already been fixed. More than 4.2 million votes had been cast by mail statewide, according to the Florida Secretary of State’s office. FILE- In this Oct. 26, 2020, file photo, Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Christina White, right, examines signatures on vote-by-mail ballots with members of the Canvassing Board Judge Raul Cuervo, left, and Judge Betsy Alvarez-Zane, center, at the Miami-Dade County Board of Elections in Doral. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) As yet, there has not been widespread litigation in Florida related to the election. One battle fought earlier this year was over felons regaining their right to vote after the passage of a 2018 amendment, which ended in an appeals court ruling affirming a state law stating they must first satisfy any fines or fees in addition to a prison sentence. But given Florida’s history and its prized 29 electoral votes, anything is possible. Of course, perhaps the most famous legal battle in presidential election history came in 2000, when Republican George W. Bush wound up defeating Democrat Al Gore in Florida by 537 votes — handing Bush the presidency after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor. Tallahassee attorney Barry Richard, who represented Bush in 2000, said that experience casts a long shadow over elections in Florida, although voting practices and laws have changed markedly since then. “My primary premise is that there’s a lot more angst about what could happen as opposed to what may actually happen this time,” Richard said. “I think the biggest problem we might have would be delay. We don’t have that as much in Florida because ballots have to be in by Election Day.” Richard Hasen, a law and political science professor at the University of California-Irvine and election law expert, said Florida may not be quite in the forefront of the nation’s election-related legal battles as in past years. “It’s still in my top five,” Hasen said. “It’s not as high on my list as it has been in the past. It’s that other states, especially during a pandemic, are doing a worse job and are more likely to be pivotal.” Yet the GOP and the Trump campaign, as well as the Democrats and presidential nominee Joe Biden, are taking no chances. Florida Republicans, for example, have trained attorneys and volunteers in advance of the election. Some will be poll watchers, some will observe canvassing boards where votes are counted, and others will monitor legal developments, state party spokeswoman Alia Faraj said. “Our efforts include ensuring that supervisors of elections are following the law and observing and documenting any potential fraud or irregularities that could impact the election,” Faraj said in an email. “Our top priority remains ensuring that every legal vote is counted, that no voter is disenfranchised, and that voters understand election laws and procedures.” There are very few cases of election fraud in the U.S., despite Trump’s many claims to the contrary. Similarly, the Biden campaign is training volunteers and lawyers to watch for evidence of voter suppression, especially among Black and Hispanic voters. “Voting as a fundamental right is under attack from a range of bad actors,” said Mone Holder, voter protection advocate for the Advancement Project, a civil rights and voting rights organization. “These voting suppression tactics highly impact voters of color.” Richard, the Bush lawyer from 2000, said he thinks Florida courts have learned how to deal quickly with election challenges and changes in state laws make a lengthy delay less likely. But, he added, you never know. “In my business, nothing is out of the realm of possibility,” Richard said. “The kind of fraud you would need to affect the election would have to be massive. A lot of what people are freaking out about this time is just the fact we had that experience in 2000.”