Ron DeSantis speaks out against Amendment 4 which would protect access to abortion during a news conference with Florida Physicians Against Amendment 4 Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) TALLAHASSEE,

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stood at a podium in Coral Gables on Monday before television cameras and media outlets to hammer home the message that residents should vote no on Amendment 4 abortion access.

John Wilson, general counsel for the Florida Department of Health, wrote in a sworn affidavit that officials from Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) office pushed him to threaten television stations with criminal prosecutions if they did not take down ads in support of a Florida abortion rights measure.

The county websites, which are hosted by election-specialist firm VR Systems, also went down during local elections in August.

Election Day is two weeks away, and Florida is the third state to report record early turnout after North Carolina and Georgia. Early voting will continue through Nov. 2. However, when it came to mail-in ballots,

The first day of early voting in Florida on Monday saw sizable lines outside Central Florida libraries, elections offices and other voting sites, with would-be voters waiting longer than 45 minutes at one location in Winter Park.