ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Four Tampa Bay counties on Tuesday saw some pivotal races in their local elections. And, when it came to voters showing up at the polls, some counties fared better than others.
Of the 594,567 registered votes in Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and Manatee counties, more than a quarter submitted a ballot, according to unofficial election results.
Pinellas County had one of the best voter turnouts. A little more than 35 percent of registered voters (65,354) took part in a historic election that included St. Petersburg's first Black mayor-elect. Former Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch bested current city council member Robert Blackmon to represent the city he calls home.
Further south in Sarasota County, nearly 37 percent of registered voters (9,965) decided on a pair of council member seats for the city of Venice. More than two-thirds of voters also approved a density referendum.
However, neither Manatee nor Polk County saw the same turnout. A little less than a quarter of voters (68,267) participated in Manatee County's elections. One of the biggest decisions voters had to make was continuing a tax referendum that helped keep teacher pay competitive with other counties. The referendum passed with 69 percent of the vote.
Polk County saw only 20 percent of its registered voters (21,432) arrive at the polls. Those who did participate helped fill several city commission seats and reelect Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz.
