Obama wins Florida and the presidency

Obama wins Florida and the presidency

Florida’s 27 electoral votes went to Barack Obama making him the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the Sunshine State since Bill Clinton in 1996, and only the second since Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Florida gave him 27 of the 270 electoral votes he needed to get to the White House and become the nation's first black president.

With 91 percent of the expected vote counted, Obama had 51 percent, while his Republican opponent had 49 percent.

Nearly 40 percent of the state's 11.2 million voters cast early votes, and overall turnout was predicted to be at a historic high of 85 percent.

Florida narrowly voted to amend its constitution to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman, an effort pushed by religious conservatives despite that definition already existing in state law. Supporters said the language was necessary to avoid court decisions that led to same-sex marriage in California, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

With 99 percent of the expected vote counted early Wednesday, the amendment had just over 62 percent support. In Florida, constitutional amendments must get 60 percent for adoption.

Despite a Democratic tide across much of the nation, Republicans retained control of the Florida Legislature by a comfortable margin. The GOP kept a 26-14 advantage in the Senate, where all nine incumbents running won.

On Election Day, many voters encountered no lines, a stark contrast to the hours-long waits during early voting, when a record 4.3 million residents cast ballots.

Associated Press