Primary Election Voting Turnout Numbers on Pace to Top 2008

Early returns indicate Hillsborough County voters are on pace to beat the 10 percent turnout recorded during the 2008 Primary Election.

“So far, we have about a 9 percent return and, while we would always want 100 percent, I certainly think we are on track to beat the 2008 turnout,” said Travis Abercrombie, a spokesman for the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office said.

Abercrombie reported eary this afternoon, Aug. 14, that there were no major problems at polling places. Today is the 2012 Primary Election.

“Everything is going pretty well so far," he said. "We are just waiting for more voters to come out and cast their ballots.”

More than 56,000 voters have already cast their ballots thanks to early voting at polling places throughout the county and balloting by mail.

Early voters in Eastern Hillsborough posted their ballots at one of 15 locations, including the Bloomingdale Regional Library, which recorded 2,641 early ballots as of Aug. 11. Only the Jimmie B. Keel Library in Tampa recorded more.

Plant City’s Bruton Memorial Library and SouthShore Library also tallied more than 1,400 early votes. The Riverview branch counted 894 early ballots. In all, 20,197 voters turned up to vote early at the county's 15 polling locations.

Heavily contested Republican primaries, including the District 24 face-off between Republican state Senate candidates Rachel Burgin and Tom Lee, might be one reason more voters are heading to the polls. Both Lee and Burgin strongly fancy their chances in the fall election in the traditionally conservative District 24; in their eyes, whoever wins the primary will likely win Nov. 6.

Florida is a closed-primary state, which means only voters registered with a political party can vote in that party's primary election.

Some races are countywide, which means votes for those races will be received at all 347 percincts. Those races include the for U.S. Senator, Hillsborough County Property Appraiser, Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections, the District 6 seat for the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, the District 7 seat for the Hillsborough County School Board and various races for judgeships.

Posted online at the supervisor of election's Web site is a list of local candidates and, via a link to the Florida Division of Elections, a list of federal and state candidates.

Also at www.VoteHillsborough.com is an online Precinct Finder. Who can you vote for, based on your party affiliation and where you live? Enter your address (street number and street name) to find your polling place and other information, including a "Republican Sample Ballot," a "Democrat Sample Ballot" and a "Minor/NPA Sample Ballot" for candidates with "other" and no-party affiliation statuses.