How To Watch The Florida Primary Results Live

On Tuesday, voters in Florida will head to the polls to make their choice for the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees. With 99 bound delegates and 214 pledged delegates up for grabs, respectively, it's set to be a big night for both parties. All eyes will be focused particularly on Republican candidate Marco Rubio, who hails from the Sunshine State and could desperately use a win. In order for your eyes to be there, you'll need to know how to watch the Florida primary results in real time.

The polls close at 7 p.m., but anyone in line at that time will get to vote. In previous primaries, long lines toward the end of the day caused backups and delays in states like New Hampshire and Idaho. Although the lines could delay some results, predictions are expected to be made as soon as the polls close, using data from exit polls. Once initial predictions are made, the results will come in and numbers will be updated throughout the rest of the night. If the races stay close, it could take longer for the official winners to be announced. If they don't, the initial predictions delivered around 7 p.m. could become de facto results.

On Television

If you have access to cable, then following along with the Florida primary will be as breezy as the Sunshine State's beaches. Major TV news outlets such as CNN and MSNBC will be among those making predictions as soon as the polls close and providing updates throughout the night. They'll also be covering the other primaries happening on Tuesday, including Ohio and North Carolina.

To watch via cable, either turn on your TV or stream using another device. For instance, CNN offers a livestream online, on mobile, and on Apple TV via its CNNGo app. The app usually requires users to log into a valid cable account in order to view the stream.

At A Watch Party

If you don't have access to cable, you might be able to get in with someone who does. Watch parties are popular gatherings that are usually aligned with a particular candidate or political party. Events organized by local campaign offices or party organizations should be available through those networks. If you're just interested in the night and looking for an excuse to mingle, you can find an unaffiliated event, such as this dance party in Miami which asks voters to dress in the color that corresponds with their voting preference.

Online

Following along with the results can also be as simple as going to Google. The search engine keeps track of the results throughout the night. You can navigate to these results by searching keywords like "Florida primary results" or "Florida Democratic primary." Other sites, such as the Florida Department of State's website, will also display results, but its unclear how often they'll be updated throughout the night.

On Social Media

Let's face it: You're going to be on social media throughout the night anyway. To keep up with the primary results as you scroll, make sure you're following the right people. On Twitter, you can follow major news outlets like The New York Times and CNN (and Bustle!) for updates and confirmation as the contests are finally called.

For some primaries and caucuses, Snapchat has unveiled live updating filters that display the real-time standings for each candidate. It's not likely that Snapchat will do the same for a night when there are several contests to keep up with, but you can still get your news via the Discover feature. Check out the feeds from outlets like CNN and BuzzFeed to see what primary updates they have.

If you're in one of the states that will hold primaries on Tuesday, the most important thing you can do is vote. Once you've done that, follow along with the results — particularly in the delegate-rich state of Florida — to see where the candidates stand. Heading into Tuesday, there may seem to be a clear leader on both sides, but there are bound to be some campaign shakeups when it's all said and done.