DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. – The Duval County Supervisor of Elections has been busy analyzing voter registration data following the general election. Jerry Holland noted a significant increase in registrations, particularly after the Oct. 7 deadline for the election.
“We always get a bump,” he said, referring to the influx of new voters added to the rolls. On Election Day, the county reported 649,928 registered voters. In the weeks since, that number has grown to 660,877, marking an addition of nearly 11,000 voters.
Holland emphasized that many of these individuals expressed their eagerness to vote, but missed the deadline. “What it tells you is they waited too long, many of them to register, and they were very interested,” he said.
Typically, the post-election registration numbers increase by about 5,000 to 6,000, according to Holland. This year’s jump of more than 10,000 new voters stands out.
“You consider the importance of the election,” Holland explained. “Anything over 10,000 that is registered in that period of time is a pretty high number.”
While some newly registered voters participated in the election through provisional ballots, their votes were not counted if officials could not confirm their registration. Florida law requires voter registration at least 29 days before an election, meaning those who missed the October 7 cutoff were unable to vote.
Holland shared examples of voters who narrowly missed the deadline. “The number of people who registered the day after book closing…like, ‘I was late at my work, can you extend it a day?’” Holland said. “And there’s no extension.”
He added that many understood the importance of voting but missed their chance due to timing. “They know they want to vote in this election. They know it was important, but again, they missed it by a day.”
Holland encouraged residents to avoid procrastination in the future. “You can actually register in the next 15 minutes,” he said. He pointed out the ease of registering online through DuvalElections.gov, visiting public libraries, or heading directly to the elections office.
For those who want to ensure their voices are heard, Holland emphasized the urgency of registering early. “Now is the time to get your registration done.”