Analysis: How UCF’s polling site managed to exceed 100% voter turnout

ORLANDO, Fla. — The data is in for Florida and it shows young voters- those between 18 and 29 years old- turned out in massive numbers in Central Florida.

In fact, the on-campus polling precinct at the University of Central Florida had more than 100% voter turnout.

READ: Researchers: 2020 could be the year of the young voter

The Orange County Supervisor of Elections says that’s never happened before at any other precinct.

To be exact, Precinct 538 on UCF’s campus had 107.56% of its registered voters show up to cast a ballot...That’s not a glitch or an error.

Here’s how it happened: By the registration deadline, there were just over 750 voters registered in Precinct 538.

However, voters already registered in Florida can update their address at any time. After the registration deadline passed, some Florida voters updated their addresses, placing them in Precinct 538.

Megan Hall, the Governmental Affairs Coordinator for UCF’s Student Government, says with the on-campus precinct, many of those address-switchers were students.

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“I’m really, really thankful to be a part of this community that continues to show up,” Hall says. “Regardless of who votes for who, everyone voted and made their voices heard.”

Rey Junco of Tufts University’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) has been tracking the enthusiasm among young voters for weeks.

“That’s outrageous right? Our research center has been promoting this for its entire existence...that youth do vote; they do care,” Junco says.

According to the data available so far, about 15% of the ballots cast in Florida were by people in the 18 to 29 age range, and they overwhelmingly favored Joe Biden.

But the youth vote wasn’t enough to flip Florida for the former Vice President.

READ: Election results taking toll on mental health for some

Nation-wide, young voters supported Biden by a wide margin, but as the age goes up, the margin shrinks, and Trump wins with voters 45 and older.

With key battleground states still counting votes, researchers believe young people- particularly youth of color and young women- could be critical in determining the outcome of the election.

Cox Media Group