Continuing a trend, about 3 million voters cast ballots in Florida before Election Day, with 1.7 million people voting by absentee ballot and another 1.3 million using early voting. As of yesterday, Escambia County had 18,420 early voters and had received 25,065 absentee ballots—meaning the outcome of most county races may have already been decided.
The number of people voting before Tuesday could be a record, and Secretary of State Ken Detzner said it should lead to results coming in fairly quickly after the last polls close in the Panhandle, which is in the Central time zone.
During this year’s primary elections, more people voted early than on the Aug. 26 primary-election day. Meanwhile, all 6,200-plus polling locations across the state opened without problems Tuesday morning, Detzner said. Polls will close at 7 p.m.
“That convenience, having enough locations for them to go to vote, having enough equipment, the basic fundamental administration of an election. … I think we are seeing at this point in time a very successful operation,” Detzner said.
U.S. Department of Justice poll observers were present Tuesday in Duval, Orange, Hillsborough and Lee counties. Detzner said Florida is one of 17 states where federal observers are watching the voting process.
source: The News Service of Florida