SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — With only a few more hours before the polls open for election day at this year's August primaries, Hurricane Debby's challenges are not getting in the way in Sarasota County.
Despite disrupting many Sarasota families, Debby's impact in the election was minimal according to the Supervisor of elections. However, an emergency change will have folks assigned to Woodmere Park voting at Jacaranda Library.
County election leaders said this is one of the largest primary elections they have seen in many years with many different races on the ballot. They ask voters to be prepared and do last-minute checks to ensure they go to the ballot with the correct information and are informed about the candidates.
"These are important races on the ballot. We've got city commission and school board in Sarasota County, the hospital board which is an important race here, and county commission," said Ron Turner, Sarasota Supervisor of Elections.
There are already many heightened passions and controversies about the various races with various campaign claims and materials circulating.
It's a caution to voters on the need to do their research and know which candidate they're voting for and why.
"We are here to provide a level playing field for voters to make their voices heard at the ballot box and we educate them on the process and how they vote. We don't educate them on candidates and campaigns," Turner said.
Election officials are expecting a large turnout on the heels of early voting. In Sarasota County, around 52,000 mail-in votes came in with 14,330 in-person early voters. In nearby Manatee County, nearly 31,500 voters mailed in their ballots with around 11,600 voting early.
"Just get out and vote and make your voice heard. There are so many things for people to vote on and these are races and offices that impact people's lives on a daily basis so they really need to get out and let their voices be heard on these local offices and local races," Turner said.
Turner said if voters haven't sent back their mail-in ballot it would be too late to put it in the mail. They would have to bring it to a Supervisor of Elections office in Downtown Sarasota, Venice or Northport before 7 p.m. Tuesday night.
It's important to remember that voters can only vote at their assigned precincts on election day. Make sure you know where yours is and head out early to avoid long lines.
Polls open for the Florida Primary Election at 7 a.m.