ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Early voting is underway for the midterm election in most Tampa Bay area counties.
According to a new poll, voters are more motivated to cast their ballot in this year’s midterm election than at any other time in history.
“I think, if anything, people understand how important their vote really is,” said Heather Lloyd, voting in Tampa.
Lloyd was among those who turned out to cast their ballot on the very first day of early voting.
“The last two years kind of opened people’s eyes to how important it is,” she said.
A new NBC poll finds that on a scale of 1 to 10, 63 percent of prospective voters gave this midterm election the highest possible score when it comes to its importance.
“All elections are important,” said voter David Brewer, “But this one seems especially more important.”
“It’s your voice. It’s all you have,” said Kim Soletti, also casting her ballot on the first day of early voting. “It’s the only way you can get your voice heard.”
Overall, 57 percent said this year‘s elections are more important than past congressional elections. That’s up 5 percent from 2018.
“It’s encouraging because the more participation in a democracy the better off we are,” said 10Tampa Bay political expert Lars Hafner.
Hafner says voter enthusiasm is likely the result of a combination of factors.
From the left’s perspective, he says it’s about the future direction of government after Jan. 6, the Supreme Court ruling on abortion and a perceived attack on voting rights.
From the conservative viewpoint, he says it’s about government overreach, immigration and inflation.
All of it, says Hafner, is exacerbated by political ads, which have been pushing new limits on rhetoric that make each side sound like the other is out to destroy the country.
“And that’s where it gets problematic,” said Hafner. “Because yes you want all voters to vote. But you want them to vote on the issues. Not necessarily on the harshness of language or the doom and gloom scenario that some of these commercials are laying out.”
Most counties in the Tampa Bay area started the early voting process Monday, but there are a few that are scheduled to begin Wednesday and Thursday.
For a complete look at when your county will begin early voting and a list of polling locations, you can check out our voter tool kit here.