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Highlands Today

Crowds Take Advantage Of Early Voting

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By BILL RETTEW JR.

Highlands Today

Published: October 22, 2008

SEBRING - Voters waited up to 45 minutes at the Highlands County Government Center, for the chance to pick a new U.S. president, when the polls opened Monday for the first day of early voting.

At the three early polling places in Avon Park, Sebring and Lake Placid, 2,168 residents from a pool of 66,092 total registered voters in the county, exercised their constitutional right to vote on opening day.

Karen Kensinger, deputy supervisor of elections, and Norma Stokes, assistant supervisor of elections, said huge numbers of voters showed-up already at the polls.

"We expected a big turnout and it was heavy all day," Stokes said. "And we expect a heavy turnout for the whole week."

Tuesday, Kensinger expected the number of early voters for 2008 to exceed all other elections, since Florida early voting was instituted in 2002.

She said more county citizens will likely vote prior to the national Election Day, than did in the 2006 gubernatorial and 2004 presidential elections.

"This was one of the heaviest turnouts for early voting," said Kensinger. "We expected a high turnout, with no (presidential) incumbent."

Extra employees are staffing the polls this year, and so far, according to Stokes, there were no reported voting machine problems.

For those who hope to avoid waiting in line, Stokes suggested voting during the mid-afternoon.

Early voters will use optical scan machines, including use of pen and paper. A single touch-screen machine is available at each early polling place for the handicapped.

An Oct. 6 snapshot of registered voters in Highlands County showed 28,671 Republicans, 26,383 Democrats and 11,038 from other parties.

Monday, 786 Republicans, 1,160 Democrats and 222 from other parties voted.

In Avon Park, 446 voters cast a ballot. In Lake Placid, 502 voters got an early start and 1,220 voters in Sebring made choices for U.S. president and several county and local races Monday.

County residents may vote at any of the three early polling locations and are not limited to any early polling place.

Absentee ballots must be received at the county office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 4. So far, 4,565 voters returned absentee ballots, with 8,189 absentee ballots requested.

Absentee ballots can be mailed or hand delivered, but may not be returned to individual polling places on Election Day, because they would not be delivered to the Government Services Center, at 580 S. Commerce St., in time to beat the deadline.

The polls are open at the Avon Park City Hall council chambers, the county government services center in Sebring and Town Hall in Lake Placid, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, until Nov. 1.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4.

SAMPLE BALLOTS

Bill Rettew Jr. may be contacted at 386-5857 or wrettew@highlandstoday.com

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