A reminder on how to vote by mail in 2026; Fact checking Trump; Florida tourism threatened
News and views for thoughtful Floridians
With the end of the year approaching, and midterm elections looming in 2026, I just wanted to take a moment to remind everyone that if you plan to vote by mail, you need to double-check to ensure you will get a ballot.
That’s because Florida’s Republican Legislature and governor changed the rules to make voting by mail more difficult.
Under a new rule signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, all vote-by-mail requests expired on Jan. 1, 2025. Going forward, you must request a vote-by-mail ballot every two years.
If you’ve already done so this year, you should be good.
If not, you may have an unwelcome surprise. So, check in with your local Supervisor of Elections office to be sure.
The League of Women Voters suggests that the easiest way to remember this is to renew your vote-by-mail ballots at the beginning of every odd-numbered year.
Here’s where you can find more information on how to check your status:
Related:
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J.C. Bruce
J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press, a website and newsletter dedicated to Floridians and issues of concern to them. He’s a native of the state and an award-winning journalist and author.
Florida tourism threatened by new White House rules aimed at immigrants
A sweeping and draconian immigration proposal advanced by President Donald Trump could further destabilize the tourism-driven economies of Key West and the Florida Keys, an island community already grappling with chronic labor shortages, while raising broader concerns across Florida as tourism officials in other regions report declining visitor numbers and hotel occupancy.
Read about this threat to Florida’s tourism engine by reporter Ted Lund here:
Fact Checking Trump’s Speech—his boasts about the economy are largely unsupported by reality
Our regularly scheduled TV programs were interrupted last night (including the season’s final episode of Survivor) by an 18-minute Oval Office speech from Donald Trump where he bragged about the state of the economy.
With warships massed in the Caribbean, networks feared the president might be announcing military action, hence the interruption. Instead, the 79-year-old Trump spent 18 minutes reading from a teleprompter to boast about what he views as his administration’s successes in 2025.
A large part of his focus was about the economy, an issue that polls show Americans are deeply unhappy about, with an overwhelming majority— 57 percent — saying they are dissatisfied with the job Trump is doing.
As the Associated Press and The New York Times report, Trump’s message was at odds with the numbers being reported by his own government:
Trump: Democrats were responsible for handing him an “inflation disaster.” But now prices have come down and “boy are we making progress.”
Facts: When Biden left office, the inflation rate was 2.9 percent. The inflation rate has been on average about 3 percent during Trump’s second term.
Also: In an AP-NORC poll this month, the vast majority of U.S. adults said they’ve noticed higher than usual prices for groceries, electricity and holiday gifts in recent months.
Trump: “I secured a record-breaking $18 trillion of investment into the United States.”
Facts: There is no evidence of this. Even the White House’s own numbers are about half that.
Trump: Gasoline is now under $2.50 a gallon.
Facts: The average price of gas nationwide is $2.90 a gallon. Prices vary, of course, but AAA reports no locations with gas under $2 a gallon despite Trump’s claims.
Trump: “I was elected in a landslide.”
Facts: He won, of course, but in terms of Electoral College votes, his numbers were smaller than many other presidents:
Trump: 312
Barack Obama: 365 and 332
Bill Clinton: 370 and 370
Franklin Roosevelt 523
Lyndon Johnson 486
Richard Nixon 520
Ronald Reagan 525
Related:
Trump gets worst economic ratings ever in new poll as Americans worry about affordability
FACT FOCUS: Trump’s glowing account of progress is at odds with his government’s own stats
It’s good to share
Tropic Press is a reader-supported publication. Here’s a big shout-out to all our loyal subscribers. Feel free to forward this email to your friends so they can enjoy it too. The more people we reach, the greater community of like-minded people we build. This is your chance to be part of all that. Thank you.
Thank you, J.C., for covering this topic! I'm passing it along to others.
My best,
Beth (St. Petersburg)