Gabrielle Russon
Primary voting is running smoothly so far Tuesday morning, Secretary of State Cord Byrd said.
“This morning, we reached out to all Supervisors of Elections Offices and have been assured that polling locations are prepared and equipped for voters,” Byrd said during a press conference that began 90 minutes after polls opened. “We have not had reports of any major issues prohibiting voters from being able to cast a ballot.”
So far, about 2 million Floridians already cast their ballots in early voting or by mail, Byrd said.
“We are in constant communication with county Supervisors of Elections today,” he added. “One of our top priorities is to support Florida’s elections officials. If help is needed, the Department of State is prepared to assist.”
Just under 100,000 people voted after polls opened, he said at the 9:30 a.m. press conference. Currently voter turnout is around 15%, with Byrd expecting it to land at around 20% to 25% by the end of Election Day.
“We don’t have a lot of big statewide contested Primaries this time,” Byrd said, adding that 20% to 25% voter turnout is typical Primary turnout. “We always want the number to be higher, and certainly in November, it’ll be much higher.”
Throughout Florida, voters are deciding many contests that have implications on their communities, from local School Boards to judicial races to constitutional officers who face competitive Primaries.
Polls are open until 7 p.m. EST.
For last-minute crowds, anyone who is in line by 7 p.m. EST will be allowed to vote, Byrd said.
Mail-in ballots must be delivered to Supervisors of Elections’ Offices by 7 p.m. EST, so the county election chiefs are talking to their U.S. Postal Service contacts to make sure ballots are delivered on time, Byrd said.
“Voting is the one way you can make your voice heard, and we want to make sure that you can do that,” Byrd said.
