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3-minute voting guide: Hillsborough's midterm election

Here's a look at key races on the ballot.

Politics

Hillsborough County has already begun sending vote-by-mail ballots for the midterm election.<ul><li>Here&#x27;s a look at key races on the ballot. Early voting runs from Oct. 19 to Nov. 1.</li></ul>

3-minute voting guide: Pinellas, St. Pete midterms

Early voting is from Oct. 19-Nov. 1 at seven locations across the county. Election Day is Nov. 3.

News

With the Nov. 3 election three weeks away, Pinellas County voters have much to consider.State of play: Mail ballots <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="have already gone out" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/PinellasCountySOE/posts/-pinellas-county-mailed-over-200000-ballots-today-to-local-voters-for-the-novemb/1508232648005923/" data-vars-content-id="f7496fbb-642a-40ad-b280-9c5373f1cc89" data-vars-headline="3-minute voting guide: Pinellas, St. Pete midterms" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/PinellasCountySOE/posts/-pinellas-county-mailed-over-200000-ballots-today-to-local-voters-for-the-novemb/1508232648005923/" target="_blank">have already gone out</a>. Early voting is from Oct. 19-Nov. 1 at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="seven locations" data-vars-click-url="https://www.votepinellas.gov/200/Early-Voting" data-vars-content-id="f7496fbb-642a-40ad-b280-9c5373f1cc89" data-vars-headline="3-minute voting guide: Pinellas, St. Pete midterms" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.votepinellas.gov/200/Early-Voting" target="_blank">seven locations</a> across the county.<ul><li>Enter your address <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="here" data-vars-click-url="https://www.votepinellas.gov/186/Find-My-Precinct" data-vars-content-id="f7496fbb-642a-40ad-b280-9c5373f1cc89" data-vars-headline="3-minute voting guide: Pinellas, St. Pete midterms" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.votepinellas.gov/186/Find-My-Precinct" target="_blank">here</a> to view a sample ballot that shows which races you&#x27;ll be voting in. </li></ul>

Tampa, St. Pete weekend events: Craft and fall festivals galore

Be sure to check event pages for possible cancellations due to rain.

Things to Do

Rain may be in the forecast, but there&#x27;s still plenty happening across Tampa Bay this weekend. <ul><li>Be sure to check event pages for possible cancellations or schedule changes before heading out.</li></ul>

Visit St. Pete-Clearwater is hiring a "Chief Vibes Officer." We have a few more ideas

Living where you vacation isn't all sunsets and Michelin stars.

Culture

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Visit St. Pete-Clearwater" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/07/13/727-day-is-back-with-tons-of-st-pete-pinellas-specials" data-vars-content-id="3351f766-fb7d-4b1b-abf2-c337f31ab30c" data-vars-headline="Visit St. Pete-Clearwater is hiring a &quot;Chief Vibes Officer.&quot; We have a few more ideas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/07/13/727-day-is-back-with-tons-of-st-pete-pinellas-specials" target="_self">Visit St. Pete-Clearwater</a> leaders announced last week they were recruiting three positions with dream-job titles.State of play: The Chief Vibes Officer, Chief Flavor Explorer and Chief Sunset Curator will help draw attention to Pinellas&#x27; assets beyond the world-famous beaches, per a news release.

Dengue cases near 100 in Hillsborough County

About 1 in 4 people infected with the virus will get sick.

Health

Nearly 100 locally acquired <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="dengue cases" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/09/02/pinellas-ups-mosquito-control-as-dengue-cases-rise" data-vars-content-id="99965102-998e-4acb-87fb-73be5f302fe9" data-vars-headline="Dengue cases near 100 in Hillsborough County" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/09/02/pinellas-ups-mosquito-control-as-dengue-cases-rise" target="_self">dengue cases</a> have been reported in Hillsborough County, and the state Department of Health is investigating a death possibly linked to the virus.Why it matters: The county is the epicenter of Florida&#x27;s dengue outbreak, accounting for about 86% of locally acquired cases statewide.

Floridians spend more than 2.5 hours in the ER

Longer visits may also mean longer waits to see a clinician.

Patients in Florida now spend an average of more than two and a half hours in hospital emergency departments, new federal data shows.Why it matters: Health care is harder to come by in the Sunshine State, where Medicaid <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hasn&#x27;t been expanded" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2024/01/10/florida-medicaid-expansion-2024-kathleen-passidomo" data-vars-content-id="286dd799-faae-46b3-b946-d12e69c7786b" data-vars-headline="Floridians spend more than 2.5 hours in the ER" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2024/01/10/florida-medicaid-expansion-2024-kathleen-passidomo" target="_self">hasn&#x27;t been expanded</a> and Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that helped lower premiums <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="have lapsed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/07/14/florida-drop-in-aca-enrollees-after-subsidies-expire" data-vars-content-id="286dd799-faae-46b3-b946-d12e69c7786b" data-vars-headline="Floridians spend more than 2.5 hours in the ER" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/07/14/florida-drop-in-aca-enrollees-after-subsidies-expire" target="_self">have lapsed</a>.

Kindergarten vaccine exemptions rose in Florida: CDC

Thousands of children entered kindergarten in Florida without protection from preventable diseases.

Nearly 6% of kindergartners in Florida were <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="exempt" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/17/kindergarten-vaccine-rates-fall" data-vars-content-id="5e63f873-151a-48dd-bc04-b9da3acddb56" data-vars-headline="Kindergarten vaccine exemptions rose in Florida: CDC" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/17/kindergarten-vaccine-rates-fall" target="_self">exempt</a> from one or more vaccines during the 2025–2026 school year, well above the national average, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Why it matters: Thousands of children entered elementary school across the Sunshine State without protection from preventable and potentially deadly diseases, including measles and polio.

Report: Hospitals could lose millions if Florida's property tax overhaul passes

Hospitals could see a 32% annual drop in tax-collected revenue.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Hospitals" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/01/22/florida-aca-enrollment-drops-subsidies-trump" data-vars-content-id="6d5027fb-9f3d-4147-b4cc-7144667ec658" data-vars-headline="Report: Hospitals could lose millions if Florida&#x27;s property tax overhaul passes" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/01/22/florida-aca-enrollment-drops-subsidies-trump" target="_self">Hospitals</a> throughout Florida could stand to lose millions of dollars each year if voters approve a constitutional amendment to overhaul the state&#x27;s property tax system.Why it matters: Hospitals and children&#x27;s health groups told the Tampa Bay Times they may have to scale back services if the amendment passes — even as the need for care in Florida <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="continues to grow" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/07/14/florida-drop-in-aca-enrollees-after-subsidies-expire" data-vars-content-id="6d5027fb-9f3d-4147-b4cc-7144667ec658" data-vars-headline="Report: Hospitals could lose millions if Florida&#x27;s property tax overhaul passes" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/07/14/florida-drop-in-aca-enrollees-after-subsidies-expire" target="_self">continues to grow</a>.

Florida measles cases surge ahead of new school year

Nineteen of the state's cases were in children younger than 10.

Florida has reported more than 100 measles cases amid <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a nationwide outbreak" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/22/measles-cases-surge-past-last-year" data-vars-content-id="e6b74798-7a41-43b8-97ba-d455191f23ac" data-vars-headline="Florida measles cases surge ahead of new school year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/22/measles-cases-surge-past-last-year" target="_self">a nationwide outbreak</a> that has pushed infections to their highest level in 35 years.

The future of Hillsborough's health care plan is uncertain

About 1 in 6 adults under 65 in Hillsborough County lack health insurance.

Nicole Chapman of Seminole Heights lost her <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Medicaid" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/27/medicaid-children-enrollment-falling" data-vars-content-id="a7dbfe26-88fd-4ffd-9791-ce1818df13fb" data-vars-headline="The future of Hillsborough&#x27;s health care plan is uncertain" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/27/medicaid-children-enrollment-falling" target="_self">Medicaid</a> coverage in 2020 when her youngest child turned 18. So when she started feeling sick, she turned to telehealth and out-of-pocket urgent care. <ul><li>But it wasn&#x27;t until a county worker helped her enroll in Hillsborough County&#x27;s Health Care Plan that doctors discovered she had a 10-inch tumor. The plan covered the surgery to remove it.</li></ul>Why it matters: About 1 in 6 adults under 65 in Hillsborough County lack health insurance and, for decades, the county&#x27;s plan has helped fill that gap. <ul><li>Now the DOGE Liaison Committee — the county&#x27;s version of the controversial <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="state" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wlrn.org/government-politics/2026-06-11/state-doge-task-force-demands-large-trove-of-data-documents-from-city-of-fort-lauderdale" data-vars-content-id="a7dbfe26-88fd-4ffd-9791-ce1818df13fb" data-vars-headline="The future of Hillsborough&#x27;s health care plan is uncertain" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wlrn.org/government-politics/2026-06-11/state-doge-task-force-demands-large-trove-of-data-documents-from-city-of-fort-lauderdale" target="_blank">state</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="federal" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/doge-department-of-government-efficiency" data-vars-content-id="a7dbfe26-88fd-4ffd-9791-ce1818df13fb" data-vars-headline="The future of Hillsborough&#x27;s health care plan is uncertain" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/doge-department-of-government-efficiency" target="_self">federal</a> cost-slashing initiatives — <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="is urging" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/06/23/hillsborough-doge-targets-county-health-care-plan" data-vars-content-id="a7dbfe26-88fd-4ffd-9791-ce1818df13fb" data-vars-headline="The future of Hillsborough&#x27;s health care plan is uncertain" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/06/23/hillsborough-doge-targets-county-health-care-plan" target="_self">is urging</a> commissioners to eliminate it.</li></ul>

Florida sees 440,000 drop in ACA enrollees after subsidies expire

Many residents who would qualify for Medicaid in other states remain ineligible in Florida.

Florida saw the nation&#x27;s largest drop in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Affordable Care Act" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/10/obamacare-trump-coverage-rules" data-vars-content-id="05cdd676-cb5e-4e9a-b38d-3e9c46b5a0c4" data-vars-headline="Florida sees 440,000 drop in ACA enrollees after subsidies expire" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/10/obamacare-trump-coverage-rules" target="_self">Affordable Care Act</a> (ACA) enrollment this year after enhanced subsidies expired, according to new data from the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services.Why it matters: Without the subsidies, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="premiums soared" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/08/obamacare-aca-premiums-price-jump" data-vars-content-id="05cdd676-cb5e-4e9a-b38d-3e9c46b5a0c4" data-vars-headline="Florida sees 440,000 drop in ACA enrollees after subsidies expire" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/08/obamacare-aca-premiums-price-jump" target="_self">premiums soared</a>. Floridians who could afford it settled for less coverage at a higher cost; more than 440,000 left the ACA marketplace altogether.

Florida earns C- for maternal mental health care

About one in five U.S. moms experience maternity-related mental health conditions like postpartum depression, and most don't get the treatment they need.

Many people struggling with maternal mental health are left untreated, experts say as a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new report" data-vars-click-url="https://policycentermmh.org/2026-maternal-mental-health-state-report-cards/" data-vars-content-id="471e6fa2-f10b-42bb-962c-a9aa07359af1" data-vars-headline="Florida earns C- for maternal mental health care" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://policycentermmh.org/2026-maternal-mental-health-state-report-cards/" target="_blank">new report</a> grades states on the quality of the care they provide.Why it matters: About one in five U.S. moms experience maternity-related mental health conditions like postpartum depression, and most don&#x27;t get the treatment they need.

Florida's ACA enrollment drops after loss of subsidies

Fewer people in Florida enrolled in the marketplace this year than last year, a drop of about 261,000 people.

Julee Ellison of Bradenton never thought much about politics, much less what it meant for her health care. Then, she retired at 59. Too young for Medicare, she turned to the federal marketplace for coverage in 2024. <ul><li>The cost surprised her even then: a $672 premium that felt like &quot;a car payment.&quot; </li><li>Ellison didn&#x27;t realize she had benefited from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/08/house-pass-aca-obamacare-subsidies-extension" data-vars-content-id="3435352e-0d92-48fc-bd68-548e60a7b1a6" data-vars-headline="Florida&#x27;s ACA enrollment drops after loss of subsidies" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/08/house-pass-aca-obamacare-subsidies-extension" target="_self">Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies</a> until Republicans let them lapse this month — and her premium nearly tripled.</li></ul>Why it matters: Ellison is among 4.4 million Floridians who enrolled in the federal marketplace this year. She, like countless others, settled for a plan that cost more than her previous one but offered far less coverage.

Tampa Bay's measles vaccinations fall short

Measles is highly contagious and can lead to severe illnesses such as pneumonia or encephalitis and, in some cases, death.

Tampa Bay counties don&#x27;t meet the herd immunity <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="threshold for measles" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/30/us-texas-measles-cases-cdc-vaccine-rfk-jr" data-vars-content-id="d00abb7a-0f29-487e-b028-74b13741563b" data-vars-headline="Tampa Bay&#x27;s measles vaccinations fall short" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/30/us-texas-measles-cases-cdc-vaccine-rfk-jr" target="_self">threshold for measles</a>, according to recent data collected and analyzed by the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Washington Post" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/43404148.8132/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL2hlYWx0aC9pbnRlcmFjdGl2ZS8yMDI1L21lYXNsZXMtdmFjY2luZS1zY2hvb2xzLW91dGJyZWFrcy1wdWJsaWMtaGVhbHRoLz9wd2FwaV90b2tlbj1leUowZVhBaU9pSktWMVFpTENKaGJHY2lPaUpJVXpJMU5pSjkuZXlKeVpXRnpiMjRpT2lKbmFXWjBJaXdpYm1KbUlqb3hOelkzTVRVM01qQXdMQ0pwYzNNaU9pSnpkV0p6WTNKcGNIUnBiMjV6SWl3aVpYaHdJam94TnpZNE5UTTVOVGs1TENKcFlYUWlPakUzTmpjeE5UY3lNREFzSW1wMGFTSTZJbUUzWkRFNU5qTXpMV1UxTkdNdE5EVmpNeTA0TnpsbExUUTFabU01TlRnNE1EaGxPU0lzSW5WeWJDSTZJbWgwZEhCek9pOHZkM2QzTG5kaGMyaHBibWQwYjI1d2IzTjBMbU52YlM5b1pXRnNkR2d2YVc1MFpYSmhZM1JwZG1Vdk1qQXlOUzl0WldGemJHVnpMWFpoWTJOcGJtVXRjMk5vYjI5c2N5MXZkWFJpY21WaGEzTXRjSFZpYkdsakxXaGxZV3gwYUM4aWZRLllWTksyQ3NpcWY1OHVIN2RfUkIyS2xEbUNPQkFhTDNJM3FFZzkwQXBnZUEmaXRpZD1nZnRhJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1uZXdzbGV0dGVyX2F4aW9zbG9jYWxfbmFzaHZpbGxlJnN0cmVhbT10b3A/611c03ead69ae557c5059a10B925fe34b" data-vars-content-id="d00abb7a-0f29-487e-b028-74b13741563b" data-vars-headline="Tampa Bay&#x27;s measles vaccinations fall short" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/43404148.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" target="_self">Washington Post</a>.Why it matters: That threshold (at least 95%) is the vaccination rate multiple <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="public" data-vars-click-url="https://publichealth.jhu.edu/sites/default/files/2024-09/Measles-Risk-Assessment-Methodology_9.19.24.pdf" data-vars-content-id="d00abb7a-0f29-487e-b028-74b13741563b" data-vars-headline="Tampa Bay&#x27;s measles vaccinations fall short" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://publichealth.jhu.edu/sites/default/files/2024-09/Measles-Risk-Assessment-Methodology_9.19.24.pdf" target="_blank">public</a> <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="health" data-vars-click-url="https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/measles/measles-vaccine/?srsltid=AfmBOoqdcCD3Rg0WjZ5GhMKsh4Zvun9Jc2AJ1bb3oCB-B9ceaSr8qX5c" data-vars-content-id="d00abb7a-0f29-487e-b028-74b13741563b" data-vars-headline="Tampa Bay&#x27;s measles vaccinations fall short" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/measles/measles-vaccine/?srsltid=AfmBOoqdcCD3Rg0WjZ5GhMKsh4Zvun9Jc2AJ1bb3oCB-B9ceaSr8qX5c" target="_blank">health</a> <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="authorities" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cdc.gov/global-measles-vaccination/about/index.html" data-vars-content-id="d00abb7a-0f29-487e-b028-74b13741563b" data-vars-headline="Tampa Bay&#x27;s measles vaccinations fall short" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/global-measles-vaccination/about/index.html" target="_blank">authorities</a> say is necessary to contain the virus&#x27;s spread.

Health 🩺

Dengue cases near 100 in Hillsborough County

Floridians spend more than 2.5 hours in the ER

Kindergarten vaccine exemptions rose in Florida: CDC

Report: Hospitals could lose millions if Florida's property tax overhaul passes

Florida measles cases surge ahead of new school year