Florida Political Portrait
APP
10/12/2012 4:51:27 PM
This photo taken Oct. 9, 2012 shows Erin Mitchell working on her computer at her home in St. Petersburg, Fla. Which way Florida swings in presidential elections is largely due to the transient nature of its population. A constant influx of new residents, like Mitchell, can make a difference from one election cycle to the next. Mitchell moved to Florida from Boston and had lived in Chicago before that. She used to be a Democrat, then registered as a Republican and is now an independent. She voted for Republican George W. Bush in 2000, but went for Democrats John Kerry in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2008. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)