Florida Election Blog: Solar amendment a 'sham'?
Calling Florida’s Amendment 1 a solar ‘’sham’’ on Thursday, a collection of Brevard County groups and companies called on voters to reject the ballot measure.
"Conservatives are opposed. Liberals are opposed. Consumer groups are opposed. Environmentalists are opposed. The solar industry is opposed. Newspapers are opposed," Phil Stasik, president of the Space Coast Progressive Alliance, said during an anti-Amendment 1 news conference Thursday in Titusville. "It seems that the only group that's supporting this amendment is the group that wrote and is financing the push for it: the monopoly utilities."
Deborah Longman-Marien, chairwoman of the Sierra Club Turtle Coast Group, labeled Amendment 1 "a wolf in sheep's clothing" that was created and financed by Florida's electric utilities to protect their monopoly markets and limit consumer-owned solar.
"Big utilities have spent over $21 million already on this sham. I personally have received, in my little condo up in Viera, four separate mailings, at least. Maybe five. At least two phone calls on this. And have seen numerous television ads about this. That's big-money backing if you're seeing that many mailings and advertisements," Longman-Marien said.
READ MORE: Elections 2016
For the Record: What if (insert candidate here) wins?
Where are they today
The weekend may be approaching, but Clinton and Trump aren't about to take a day off to recharge for Election Day. Below is a look at Thursday's public appearances.
- Jacksonville, FL: noon
- Berwyn, PA: 2 p.m.
- Concord, NC: 4 p.m.
- Selma, NC: 7 p.m.
Trump's running mate, Mike Pence, will appear Thursday in Iowa, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
- Greenville, NC: 3:15 p.m.
- Raleigh, NC: 7:45 p.m.
Clinton's running mate, Tim Kaine, will make two appearances Thursday in Arizona. Barack Obama campaigned for Clinton on Thursday in Miami and Jacksonville.
On Wednesday, Clinton made stops in Nevada and Arizona, the latter of which traditionally has been a Republican stronghold. The Arizona Republic, for instance, endorsed Clinton, the first time its editorial board has endorsed a Democratic candidate for president since the newspaper was founded in 1890.
Trump takes lead in Fla.
Donald Trump passed Hillary Clinton Thursday in USA TODAY's "Poll Averages," a daily average of publicly available election polls.
Data posted Thursday show Trump at 46.1 percent to Clinton's 45.8 percent. Just a day earlier, Clinton held the advantage at 46.0 percent to 45.3 percent.
Trump has been gaining ground in Florida as he's been on the ground in Florida, wrapping up his fourth stop in 24 hours at a noon speech in Jacksonville.
“The polls are all saying we are going to win Florida. Don’t believe it, don’t believe it. Get out there and vote. Pretend we’re slightly behind,” Trump said Wednesday during an appearance in Miami; he later spoke in Orlando and Pensacola. “We don’t want to blow this.”
Polls also show Trump has caught up to Clinton in New Hampshire.
Florida is one of seven states considered toss-ups at this point, and New Hampshire had been seen as leaning Democratic.
Trump left Jacksonville early Thursday afternoon just as Barack Obama was heading to the city, where he'll speak on behalf of Clinton. After Obama leaves, Florida will be void of campaign-related political visits for a period of 24 hours. Both of the presidential running mates, Republican Mike Pence and Democrat Tim Kaine, will be making stops Friday in Florida.
As of Thursday afternoon, Trump and Clinton's public appearance schedules did not list a return trip to Florida before Election Day on Tuesday.
The Spouses and Children
Bill Clinton is no stranger to the campaign trail, so it's no surprise he's been pounding the pavement to drum up support for his wife.
Melania Trump, however, has been seen this fall, but we haven't heard much from her until Thursday. Her speech in Pennsylvania outlined her priorities for a Trump presidency.
"I want our children in this country, and all around the world, to live a beautiful life, to be safe and secure," she said. "To dream freely of love and a family of their own someday. We need to teach our youth American values. Kindness, honesty, respect, compassion, charity, understanding, cooperation. I do worry about all of our children."
USA TODAY: Melania Trump promises to focus on cyber bullying as first lady
Trump's children have been outspoken and highly visible throughout the campaign, and Chelsea Clinton has stepped up her role in recent weeks. The former First Daughter addressed a crowd of 250 supporters Thursday morning in Wisconsin, another state that's considered a tossup.
"My mom has ambitious goals, but she's never going to say anything that's unconstitutional," Clinton said. "She's never going to promise something she knows is impossible because of our structure of government, but she is going to work her heart out to push the limits of what is possible for our children, for our families and for women rights and human rights."
USA TODAY: Chelsea Clinton campaigns for mom in Milwaukee
Enough Already
You've seen the political ads. "Crooked Hillary" deleted emails. Trump called a woman a "pig." It seems like an endless supply of attack ads, and it's starting to take a toll on Americans.
Election fatigue is a real thing.
- Because of the election, Facebook and Twitter stink now
- Trump and Clinton: Even psychologists are seeing exhaustion
- Pastors preach presidential politics
- Election flashback: 10 ways to distract yourself from the 2016 race
The campaign is approaching its 600th day, a nearly two-year stretch that began when Ted Cruz (remember him?) announced his candidacy. USA TODAY defended that extended period in an editorial.
"A long campaign gives voters a chance to see how the candidates react to unexpected developments similar to ones they'd encounter if elected. It gives experts a chance to analyze the impact of policy proposals. And it gives investigative reporters time to unearth information that the candidates would prefer to hide."
Defending the long presidential campaign: Our view
If you need a lighter moment heading down the homestretch, the video below is titled "Dog has zero energy left for this election."
Not Again, Florida
Everyone remembers the hanging chads of 2000. Sometimes it's good to be in the national spotlight; that wasn't one of them.
According to the Associated Press, the national Election Protection Coalition is getting more calls from voters in Florida than another other state.
Kristen Clarke, president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, says the majority of Florida calls have been from voters asking about mail ballots.
The coalition, which also includes the American Civil Liberties Union and Common Cause, plans to have roughly 200 lawyers and other volunteers around the state on Election Day to watch for problems, the AP reports.
2000 vs. 2016: Why Gore then is different than Trump now
Celebrity Endorsements
Hillary Clinton's campaign schedule is littered with big names appearing on her behalf: Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, Bill Clinton, Joe Biden. Also on the official list is Cher, Jay Z, Jon Bon Jovi, Katy Perry, Stevie Wonder.
USA TODAY has covered the issue of celebrity endorsements, noting celebrity endorsements aren't as critical in 2016 because Trump and Clinton themselves are celebrities.
The Other Two
Although Trump and Clinton grab all of the attention, two other candidates hope to make a dent in the ballot box.
Libertarian Gary Johnson and the Green Party's Jill Stein also have been campaigning, but aren't commanding poll numbers anywhere close to the Republican or Democratic nominees. USA TODAY's national poll averages show Johnson at 4.1 percent and Stein at 2.1 percent. Neither has been able to gain any traction despite political uproars impacting both Clinton and Trump's campaigns.
Gary Johnson fades even as voter anger at Trump and Clinton rises
Social Media
This presidential campaign has seen a fair share of political advertising on television and in newspapers, but a nasty battle also has been raging on social media, particularly Twitter.
Their social media posts feature photos from the campaign trail, memorable quotes from speeches and political endorsements, but they also include the same attack ads seen on TV.
Hillary Clinton's turn:
Donald Trump's turn:
Women
Clinton is the first female presidential nominee for the two major parties, but that milestone hasn't drawn much attention in recent months. Women, and women's issues in general, aren't being ignored in the campaign, though.
Trump's comments about women have drawn ire across genders and political lines, but many voters aren't phased by Trump's controversial statements, the Pensacola News-Journal reports. Trump has enlisted the support of his female supporters during the campaign.
Meanwhile, Clinton has used Trump's own words against him, featuring the Republican's comments in her political advertising. She also is relying on female voters to explain why Clinton is a better choice.
READ MORE: Born before women could vote, 102-year-old casts ballot for Clinton
How women have defined the 2016 election
Early Voting
As of 5 a.m. Thursday, Florida Division of Elections records show 4,526,173 Floridians already have cast ballots for the general election through early voting or vote-by-mail. That is 35.2 percent of all eligible voters. The total number of voters could be higher, as the Pensacola News-Journal reports, but an estimated 1.7 million Florida felons, even those who have been released from prison, are unable to cast a vote.
Voting might be one of the few issues that Trump and Clinton support. They both want every eligible American to cast a ballot.
USA TODAY also has gotten into the act, creating a campaign that not only encourages everyone to vote, but also share their reasons for casting a ballot. For more information, visit the VotingBecause website or use #VotingBecause in your social media posts.