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Delegates from around the world were in Florida today watching Americans vote. Seven foreign delegates visited precincts in Tallahassee and attended a voter turnout rally at Florida State University. As Whitney Ray tells us, the delegates were amazed by the number of candidates and issues on our ballots and the transparency at the polls.

A foreign site to foreign eyes Tuesday as a FSU student dressed like a robot greeted delegates from Nigeria, Canada, Cambodia and other countries.

Members of FSU Public Interest Research Group led the delegates on a tour, asking students to follow them to the polls. No students joined the march. At FSU it’s really easy to vote because they have a precinct right on campus.”

We met 18 Year Old Emily Knight shortly after she cast her first ballot.

“I just think that the decisions we make now are going to affect our future,” said Knight.

Imtiaz Asin, a Canadian Delegate in the US Department of State’s International Visitors Bureau of Cultural Affairs says voter turnout among youth in the US is as low as it is in Canada.

“People just don’t care. A lot of people don’t care about the issues that are relating to them. Nobody talks about youth issues,” said Asin.

Samuel Ezugwu from Nigeria says US voters are better off than voters in his country because we have so much access to information before we vote.

“Politicians have more work to do to get to the grassroots, to get the information out to them. SO they have to do a lot more visiting. Here you can use the social networks,” said Ezugwu.

Foreign delegates are also watching elections in other select states and are amazed that elections laws differ from state to state.

Today’s election to choose a new governor is considered a toss-up and could be driving a higher than usual turnout. 1994 set the record for turnout…66 percent, in a non presidential election in Florida. In addition to high turnout, 2010 could be the year of the first recount since the 2000 election

Voter turnout steady throughout the day.  Evelyn Spradley says casting her ballot this election was as important as ever. “Every election is important to me.” Why, she was asked. “It’s because I feel I have a say in how our government is run. City State, National.”

Most pollsters agree that the tight Governor’s race,Coupled with millions in negative ads will make for a close election. Perhaps close enough to trigger a recount. Based on likely turnout, the Governor’s race will have to be closer than thirty or forth thousand votes to trigger a recount.

A lot has changed since scenes of poll workers looking at punch cards dominated television in the 2000 election aftermath. Florida outlawed those punch cards and later non verifiable electronic machines. Secretary of State spokesperson Jennifer Davis says the law is specific on close elections.

“What happens is that during a machine recount,” she says, “they sort sort out all the over votes and undervotes, and then for the manual they would make sure the over really did vote for more than one candidate and that the undervotes are truly an undervote and that they didn’t vote for anyone in that race.”

One difference from the debacle of 2000 and this 2010 election, is that this time, everything is working the way it is supposed to work…so far. Secretary of State Dawn Roberts told reporters at an election briefing that “I think Florida is in good shape.”

Whether the vote in any race is close enough to trigger a recount…a late night is almost certain before all results are known.

The Second Congressional District here in Florida is one of four Florida seats the National GOP targeted in their attempt to take over Congress. The seat stretches between Panama City and runs east of Tallahassee. Democrat Allen Boyd has held the seat since 1996, and says this is the toughest race he has ever seen.

“If we get large turnouts, and folks come and express their views about their vision for the country, that’s all we can ask for'” say Body.  ”We’ve done our best to deliver our message, about what we tried to do in the past and where we think we need to go from here, and ah, if the people speak, I’ll be contented.”

Challenging Boyd is Steve Southerland, a Panama City Funeral Director, who is making his first run for elective office.

There are more than 300-thousand college students in Florida and many of them won’t vote tomorrow. Voter turnout groups are trying to rally students to the polls. As Whitney Ray tells us, technology may be key to reaching 18 to 29 year old voters.

FSU Sophomore Lizzie Solonari spent Monday asking her classmates to vote. She mostly got nos and Apathetic stares, but a few students signed a pledge promising to vote on Election Day.

“You have an obligation and that is to get out and vote. That’s really part of who you are as an American,” said Stephen Oleszek.

“If we want to be able to make our voice heard we have to start voting,” said Joshua Childs.

About 100 students promised to vote. They signed pledges complete with their cell phone numbers. FSU Public Interest Research Group sponsored the voter turnout drive and will send text messages reminders to students. PIRG says the messages increase the likelihood that a student will vote by four percent.

“Obviously text messaging is really popular for young voters. Young people in general so it’s an effective tool for contacting the young voters and getting the message across,” said Solonari.

Young people voted in record numbers in 2008, helping deliver the Whitney House to President Barack Obama, but appetites are changing and midterm elections are generally not as popular or inspiring as Presidential Elections.

Many college students think they can’t vote in their college town because they are registered in their hometown, but if you are registered anywhere in Florida you can update your address at the polls on Election Day before casting a ballot.

Dozens of seats in Congress are expected to switch hands, marking a historic upheaval in how the country is governed, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, when it comes to the state legislature, change is unlikely.

Congress could see four or five dozen seats change hands. Florida Democrats could lose as many as five seats to the GOP.

While change is sweeping the congress, there is very little changing here at the state capitol. Republicans have been in control for more than a decade and they’re going to keep commanding majorities.

One key reason for the lack of change is the way House and Senate districts are drawn. The nonpartisan League of Women Voters is hopeful that voters will say yes to Amendments 5 and 6 on Tuesday, because they say it will make line drawing fairer.

“Right now you have districts that go from one side of the state across Lake Okeechobee to the other side of the state. I don’t think you would be able to keep districts like that if amendments 5 and 6 pass,” Marilyn Wills, President of the Florida League of Women Voters said.

Opponents are fighting back with this TV spot.

“Five and six would devastate our democracy.”

Wills also said she got a robo call from opponents that was an outright lie.

Polling suggests the amendments have a chance. During early voting last week, we found voters who were both informed and unsure of the amendments.

“I wish that when they put these amendments on the ballot, that they speak plain, everyday language,” voter Dedra O’Neal said.

In addition to Amendments 5 & 6, voters will also get a say on public financing of campaigns, property taxes for veterans, growth, and class size.

If you would like more information on all of the Amendments on Tuesday’s ballot you can go to our website and click on “A Voters Guide to the Amendments”. published by the League of Women Voters.