Between the COVID-19 pandemic, huge job losses and an economy that resembles a roller coaster, 2020 has been a wildly and unpredictable year. 

“As a result of COVID, a lot of people were laid off, a lot of people were furloughed,” said Edwin Narain, a former state representative and Democratic political analyst. “And so the question is: how do you rebuild this economy in a fair way?”

That is why Narain is anticipating record turnout on Monday, the first day of in-person early voting. And he expects Democrats to play a huge role in this election, despite a renewed push by the Trump Administration to expand his base.

“They see that as three and a half years of neglect and now all of a sudden a pivot to try and get the vote,” he said.

More than two million votes have already been cast statewide through absentee ballots. Democrats made up about 51 percent of those voters. 

But Berny Jacques, a Republican political analyst, said his numbers showed 79 percent of Republican voters have not cast a ballot yet but are expected to turn out in droves. 

“A lot of Republicans got a little cautious and wanted to make sure they’re voting in person or going physically and dropping off those mail in ballots,” Jacques said.

Florida is once again considered a high-stakes battleground state. Jacques believes Trump is fully deserving of the 29 electoral votes for how he has handled the economy. 

“Fifty-two percent of those jobs have come back that were lost during the pandemic and the president will be hitting hard on that during these closing days,” Jacques said.

Both campaigns have made Florida a priority. President Trump spent part of last week in Ocala. Dr. Jill Biden visited St. Petersburg and other areas of the state. 

Democratic V-P Candidate Kamala Harris will be in Jacksonville and Orlando on Monday.