On Election Day 2024, CBS News anchor Tony Dokoupil and his production crew of nearly a dozen stood in front of the City of Boca Raton Public Library, bringing national attention to one of Florida’s most politically important regions: Palm Beach County.
“I love coming to Boca Raton because it has a lot of enthusiasm for politics,” says Dokoupil. “The line here started before 7 a.m. It’s been consistent throughout the morning and we’ve got people yelling from cars. We have people stopping to talk to us. Some people saw us on air and then decided to come pay us a visit.”
Dokoupil is also set to cover Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s election night watch party at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.
“We will be on the rafters and risers to find out what happens and what he says and at what hour he appears so this [Boca Raton] was a very convenient location relative to where that is and I knew there was going to be good energy here,” said Dokoupil.
Tony Dokoupil is a co-host of “CBS Mornings” and “CBS Mornings Plus,” the network’s third hour of “CBS Mornings,” which is broadcast on several CBS-owned stations and simulcast on CBS News 24/7, CBS News and Stations’ streaming news service. Dokoupil also anchors “The Uplift,” a weekly series spotlighting positive and inspiring stories for CBS News 24/7. His reporting is also featured on “CBS News Sunday Morning” and the CBS “Evening News with Norah O’Donnell.”
“The greatest thing about my job is that you are a whole person on television. Morning TV, you’re reaching people at a very tender hour of the morning. They’re in their pajamas in most cases. You get to be serious, you get to be important but you also get to be fun, you get to be human. Election Day is a day of celebration; this is the 60th Election Day in American history and God-willing it will be a safe, secure and accurate one,” says Doukoupil.
Dokoupil grew up in Dade County and personally, was thrilled to set up shop on this historic day not far from his childhood community of Homestead.
“Any time I can go further south in South Florida, I’m coming home,” says Dokoupil.
Dokoupil’s live Election Day reports for “CBS Mornings” underscores how Palm Beach County remains a key player in the overall election landscape. The state’s political climate is closely watched for any potential shifts in voter behavior—and Boca Raton and its surrounding communities are often the barometer. Palm Beach County is home to a diverse electorate, including affluent suburban voters, retirees and a growing number of younger professionals.
“I’m struck by how knowledgeable people are here. It’s the country in microcosm. People who live side-by-side and yet who live in very different realities politically and have very different visions of what the country should be, so you get the big picture of America in just a tiny way … with a little bit too much wind, but some beautiful sun,” says Dokoupil.
Always sun.
Let’s all remember that—no matter who wins the election.
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