Abortion and marijuana will be on the ballot in Florida in November — two issues that are expected to mobilize young voters toward President Biden and Democrats in the Sunshine State.
The issues have proven to drive young voter turnout in other states, like Ohio last year, and Democrats are betting Florida will see a similar boost.
After the state’s Supreme Court ruled earlier this week that both issues could go before voters in November, Democrats quickly declared Florida was back in play despite its recent shift toward Republicans.
“Both abortion and marijuana legalization are highly resonate with young people, which is a key demographic that the president has got to turn out,” said Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution, a grassroots progressive group.
The Biden campaign on Monday released a memo announcing it would invest more in former President Trump’s home state, arguing Trump and the Republican agenda in the Sunshine State are “making Floridians’ lives worse.” Trump won the state with more than 51 percent of the vote to Biden’s 48 percent in 2020.
Biden campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodríguez said the campaign has released targeted ads focused on young voters in Florida, as well as Hispanic and Black voters.
“Make no mistake: Florida is not an easy state to win, but it is a winnable one for President Biden, especially given Trump’s weak, cash-strapped campaign, and serious vulnerabilities within his coalition,” she said in the memo.
Florida’s Supreme Court issued two rulings Monday on access to abortion, one that will allow a six-week abortion ban to take effect next month, and another that allowed for a ballot measure that would protect access to abortion up to 24 weeks if it passes in November.
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