With the general election on Nov. 2, many Florida voters have made their way to the polls.
Early voting began on Oct. 18 and has allowed voters to get involved without having to wait in long lines on Election Day.
Throughout the day on Monday, voters lined up outside the Leon county courthouse to cast their ballots, sending the 2010 elections off to a smooth start. Early voting gives voters about two weeks of convenience to cast their ballots.
Ion Sancho, the Leon County supervisor of elections, said early voting presents many benefits for the voters and the election process as a whole.
“Early voting gives more accessibility for citizens to vote and they don’t have to wait until the last day to potentially face long lines,” said Sancho. “By having people vote early, it distributes the number of voters voting across more days and it helps to reduce all of the long lines everywhere.
“Early voting doesn’t actually increase voter turnout; it redistributes the turnout you’re going to get and it makes it so there are no lines for voters when election day comes,” said Sancho
Jackie Gary of Ocala, Fla., a registered voter and alumna of Florida A&M, also stressed some benefits of voting early.
“I truly believe in early voting because you have a period of two weeks to vote instead of one day,” said Gary. “Voting early also allows voters to free up time on Election Day to get others to vote as well.”
State and local candidates and their supporters have been campaigning around the Tallahassee area for the upcoming election, waving signs and posters to remind motorists that the important election has begun. Early voting in Leon County ends Saturday.
The dates of operation at the polls for voting in Leon County extend through Saturday, Oct. 30. All voters can vote at the Leon County Courthouse from 8:00a.m. – 4:00p.m. Other locations include the Northeast Library, Woodville Community Library, and Ft. Braden Library from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.