By james art 
TALLAHASSEE — After months of voters being bombarded with television ads and letters, Tuesday is Election Day.
Of course, much of the national attention will focus on whether Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump will lead the country for the next four years.
But here are five big issues in Florida to watch:
• Abortion. The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision to overturn a decades-old abortion rights ruling in Roe v. Wade sparked a political firestorm.
Lawmakers in Republican-led states like Florida took advantage of the decision to restrict access to abortion, with Florida law now preventing most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
But in states across the country — red and blue — the abortion debate has also played out on ballot measures. And so far, abortion rights supporters have the upper hand.
In perhaps the biggest political battle this year in Florida, voters will decide whether to write abortion rights into the state constitution.
Gov. Ron DeSantis is leading the effort to reject what appears to be Amendment 4 on the ballot. Unlike other states, the amendment would need support from at least 60 percent of voters, rather than a simple majority, to pass.
• Marijuana. It might be an understatement to say that a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the recreational use of marijuana has high stakes.
The Smart & Safe Florida Political Committee, which sponsored the proposed amendment, received more than $153 million in cash and in-kind contributions, with $144.6 million coming from the cannabis company Trulieve. Meanwhile, DeSantis and his administration have been campaigning against the measure, including running controversial television ads, trying to dissuade voters from supporting it.
The proposal, which appears as Amendment 3 on the ballot, comes eight years after voters passed a constitutional amendment allowing the medical use of marijuana. This proposal received support from 71.3% of voters.
• Legislative battles. Armed with supermajorities in the House and Senate, Republicans have outspent Democrats the past two years in Tallahassee.
Coming out of Tuesday’s election, the GOP will still have huge legislative advantages over Democrats.
But the question is whether Democrats can break away, flipping some Republican seats and protecting Democratic incumbents in contested districts.
Only one Senate district is up for grabs as Democrat Daryl Parks seeks to unseat Sen. Cory Simon, R-Tallahassee, in a sprawling North Florida district.
But in the House, Republicans and Democrats are in closely watched races in the Orlando area, the Tampa Bay area and parts of Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.
• The power of DeSantis. DeSantis’ presidential campaign flamed out earlier this year, but that doesn’t mean he’s any less ambitious. No matter who wins Tuesday’s presidential election, 2028 is right around the corner.
DeSantis has gone all out to try to defeat proposed constitutional amendments on abortion and marijuana. He toured the state to criticize the proposals, and state agencies under his control ran controversial television ads and took other steps to try to undermine the measures.
It could be a high-risk, high-reward strategy for DeSantis, especially if the abortion amendment doesn’t pass. He will be able to present himself to the Republican base as a governor who reins in abortion rights supporters.
• Democrat Test. Follow the money. Of course, this is a cliché. But it is also true in politics.
And while national Democrats have made some faux pas about Florida’s competition, they haven’t poured money into the state to try to make it competitive in the presidential race or help elect Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Debbie Mucarcell-Powell.
But after years of decline, Florida Democrats should emerge with at least some wins Tuesday. One part of that would be to end up increasing Democratic-held legislative seats.
Also, while Amendment 4 supporters have made it clear they view the ballot proposal as cross-partisan, Democrats could celebrate if voters enshrine abortion rights in the constitution.