🗳️ Ballot 101

Good Monday morning.

🕶️ Sunny. 93°/74°.

• Sounds like: "Are You Ready," AC/DC.

Today's newsletter is 898 words, a 3-minute read.

We're five weeks out from Election Day, when voters in Tampa Bay will help guide the future of the region, state and country.

Why it matters: Control of the White House and Congress are on the line this year, as are abortion access and recreational marijuana in Florida.

To help you get up to speed, today we published our voter guide for Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

• Click through for a rundown of local and statewide races that will be on your ballot this November.
• And bookmark the page — we'll update the guide with additional information, links to our coverage and more.

Preparing to vote: You can register to vote, update your address or change your party affiliation online or by mail through Oct. 7.

• Mail-in ballot requests are due Oct. 24. Request a mail ballot through the Hillsborough or Pinellas elections supervisor.
• The deadline to return a filled-out ballot is 7pm on Election Day.

Check your registration status online through the election supervisor's office in Hillsborough or Pinellas.

• A 2023 law has led to some voters being declared inactive, either because they didn't participate in recent elections or due to residence questions.

Other important dates:

• Mail ballots will be sent to domestic voters who've requested them between Sept. 26 and Oct. 3.
• Early voting runs Oct. 21-Nov. 3 in Hillsborough and Pinellas. Voting locations will be open 7am-7pm daily.

The bottom line: We're in this election's home stretch — 42 days until Nov. 5. It's time to read up, register and get ready to go vote.

Go deeper: Read the full voter guide here

There are tough contests up and down the ballot, chock-full of candidates with opposing views of where this country is and where it's headed.

• Here are three we're keeping an eye on.

U.S. Senate: Rick Scott vs. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell

• Sen. Rick Scott faces a challenge from former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D), who was urged to enter the race by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic-aligned groups.
• Scott, who earlier this year mounted a longshot bid for Senate Republican leader, is a frequent critic of federal government spending and a hardliner on border security. He served two terms as governor, from 2011 to 2019.
• Mucarsel-Powell is the first Hispanic woman ever nominated by Florida Democrats for a statewide office. She describes herself as a battle-tested leader who is more in touch with the needs of Floridians.

CD13: Anna Paulina Luna (R) vs. Whitney Fox (D)

• Whitney Fox, a former communications director for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, emerged from a pool of five Democratic candidates in the August primary to challenge incumbent Anna Paulina Luna.
• Luna, a Donald Trump ally and member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, was elected in 2022.
• Abortion has become an issue in the race. Fox is a vocal supporter of Amendment 4, while Luna has been silent on her stance, telling Politico that her opinion "doesn't really matter."
• It's among the most competitive congressional races in Florida.

Hillsborough state attorney: Suzy Lopez (R) vs. Andrew Warren (D)

• Andrew Warren was elected state attorney in an upset in 2016 and re-elected in 2020, but was suspended in 2022 by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who cited Warren's pledges not to prosecute cases involving abortion or gender-affirming care for minors.
• DeSantis appointed Suzy Lopez, a judge in Hillsborough, to replace Warren. Meanwhile, Warren sued, seeking his reinstatement; the litigation is still pending, but federal courts have ruled that DeSantis violated his First Amendment rights.
• The suspension is a core issue in the campaign. Warren argues it was illegal and politically motivated; per WTSP, Lopez argues Warren's policies deprioritizing certain low-level offenses amounted to failing to do his job.

Keep reading: The full guide

🖥️ Hillsborough County Public Schools' rollout of $8.5-million computer software caused widespread issues, leaving teachers frustrated and without the means to record attendance online. (Tampa Bay Times)

😞 The Bucs had a rough day at Ray Jay, losing 26-7 to the Broncos. The win halted their early momentum and will revive questions about how likely they are to be true contenders this season. (ESPN)

• Things went even worse for the USF Bulls, who lost 50-15 to the No. 8 Miami Hurricanes, also at home.

🏘️ Pinellas County plans to build an affordable housing complex on the site of a former nursery in Tarpon Springs, a yearslong effort that will cost millions of dollars. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

🚔 Polk County saw a surge of online threats to bomb or shoot schools in recent weeks, with two dozen students arrested for making them. (WFTS)

Tampa Theatre's "A Nightmare on Franklin Street" offers 21 nights of premium heebie-jeebies.

This year's all-new lineup features classic horror films, creepy cult favorites, spooky specialty screenings and "Mummy & Me" family-friendly films.

Find times, titles and tickets.

Four rounds, one false start, and a whole lot of bread — we've finally crowned the champion of our Cuban sandwich bracket.

Your pick: After a week of voting, La Segunda came out on top. The iconic restaurant at 4015 W Kennedy Blvd. has been baking since 1915.

• According to our readers, they've gotten pretty good at it!

Thanks to all who voted! If you enjoyed this and have ideas for other brackets we could run, hit reply or email tampa@axios.com.

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We want to hear from empty nesters who are (or are thinking about) ditching their family-sized homes for smaller ones.

• How'd you make the decision to stay or go?
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Hit reply with your name and neighborhood. We may feature your insights in an upcoming story.

Who sits in seat 308? Where did Robert Lanier tear his final ticket? What led to Tampa Theatre being known as one of the most haunted buildings in town?

Tampa Theatre's ghost tours share stories of the historic movie palace's ghostly guests, preternatural patrons and eternal employees.

Join in.

📺 Yacob is watching "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story."

👋 Kathryn is back from Tennessee.

This newsletter was edited by Jeff Weiner.