Phil Ammann
In early voting for Pinellas County and the St. Petersburg municipal elections, more than 75,200 people have already voted.
On Friday, Pinellas Supervisor of Elections Deborah Clark posted updated vote-by-mail numbers; so far, her office sent 264,468 mail ballots, with a little over 28 percent – 75,288 – returned.
By party, 28,174 Democrats, 32,451 Republicans and 5,690 NPR/other have cast votes in all.
As for the St. Petersburg mayoral and City Council races, there were 19,075 ballots returned of 67,198 mailed (just over 28 percent).
Also before Pinellas voters are two council seats in Seminole, a waterfront referendum in Clearwater and Dunedin charter amendments, as well as a countywide ballot to reauthorize the Penny for Pinellas sales tax.
According to Clark’s office, there are 639,329 registered voters eligible to vote in this election: 228,352 Republicans, 227,200 Democrats and 183,777 NPA/other. This means about 12 percent of all eligible voters have cast ballots.
Incumbent Mayor Rick Kriseman faces former two-term Mayor Rick Baker. Polling released this week puts Kriseman with a slight lead, less than a single point (46.8 to 46.0 percent). Although this is the first time in the race Kriseman is leading in public polling, it is still well within the poll’s +/- 3.9 percent margin of error, making the race a statistical tie.
In the St. Pete City Council District 6 contest, businessman Justin Bean faces community activist Gina Driscoll in a race for the seat in one of the most diverse sections of the city. District 6 includes downtown and parts of the Old Northeast and Midtown, the historic African-American neighborhood. A poll released this week shows Driscoll leads Bean 45-27 percent, with about 29 percent undecided.
For District 2, the race is between Relator Brandi Gabbard and Barclay Harless, a St. Petersburg banking executive. Gabbard has about a 20-point lead over Harless, new polling shows. Thirty percent are undecided.
In District 4, it’s college student Jerick Johnston facing incumbent Councilmember Darden Rice, who also holds a comfortable lead with 56 percent.
Early in-person voting begins Saturday, Oct. 28, through Sunday, Nov. 5, at the Supervisor of Elections Offices: 315 Court St, Room 117, in Clearwater; 13001 Starkey Rd, Largo (Starkey Lakes Corporate Center) and 501 First Ave. N (Fifth St. N Entrance), St. Petersburg. Office hours are Monday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Early voting hours are Monday-Friday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Voters can go to any early voting site to cast a ballot. To vote a regular ballot, voters must present both picture and signature identification. Those who do not bring both types of ID can vote by provisional ballot.
Deadline for requesting a mail ballot is 5 p.m. Nov. 1; mail ballots must be received by 7 p.m. Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 7, at one of the Pinellas elections offices. Election Day hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For more information and a list of polling places, visit votepinellas.com.
