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Candidate qualifying for state and local races across Florida ended at noon Friday.

It wasn’t without some last minute maneuvering.

Generally the final day of qualifying at the R.A. Grey Building in the state capital is bustling with last minute business, but not in this age of COVID.

Still, in the last ten minutes before the noon cutoff, a Democrat from Osceola filed her paperwork to run for the State House.

“Just something I’ve always wanted to do and I didn’t want to have any regrets,” said Kristen Arrington.

Several operatives were in place monitoring any last minute surprises.

As the clock ticked, Virginia Fuller dropped off her paperwork for a long shot House seat in Tallahassee.

And as the clock struck noon, some arrived too late to make the cut.

Rules are rules.

The deadline was 12 noon, not 12:01.

The first test of the 2020 election is just ten weeks away.

The Primary is August 18th.

Look for innovative ideas at marketing.

One example, a bumper sticker face mask.

“You have to play to win and you can’t play if you are not in the game,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair Terri Rizzo.

Rizzo said more campaigns will boost turnout.

“When local candidates run, it brings more votes. People run on local issues,” said Rizzo.

Both Democrats and Republicans are pushing vote by mail, but it comes with pitfalls.

To make sure your vote by mail ballot is counted, you will should monitor it and correct any signature problems with your local supervisor.

We reached out to State GOP Chair Joe Gruters for this story, but did not hear back.