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Still Time to Vote as Election Officials Predict 20% Turnout

August 24 - Turnout could be the deciding factor in many of the races in Central Florida today, and elections officials say it looks like only about 20% of eligible voters will have cast ballots by the time the polls close at 7pm. That figure is actually considered on the high end for an off-year primary.

The high-profile, extremely contentious races for the Governor’s office and the U.S. Senate may draw more voters to the polls than in other primaries.

Orange County Elections Supervisor Bill Cowles says some nonpartisan races, like the contests for County Mayor and School Board Chair, may be decided today. If one of the candidates in those races gets more than 50% of the vote, he says, there will be no runoff.

“That race is over and it will not be on the November ballot,” Cowles said. “If you want to vote on who’s going to make decisions for you locally, today’s the day to vote.”

Cowles is predicting turnout near 20 percent, although today’s stormy weather may keep that percentage a little lower.  He says more than 59,000 Orange County residents either voted early or by absentee ballot. 

In early voting, Republicans outnumbered Democrats, and Cowles says he expects that trend to continue.

“The ballot is probably stronger in contests for the Republican side,” he said, “and, as we saw in early voting and the absentees, more Republicans have been casting ballots based on the strength of the ballot.”

Republicans are choosing a candidate for Governor after a highly contentious battle between Attorney General Bill McCollum and businessman Rick Scott. They also are choosing the candidates who will face first-term Democratic Congressional representatives Alan Grayson and Suzanne Kosmas.

Democrats are picking their U.S. Senate candidate after another long and hotly contested race between Congressman Kendrick Meek and businessman Jeff Greene. The winner of that election will likely face Republican Marco Rubio and independent candidate Charlie Crist in the November general election.

PROGRAM NOTE: 90.7 FM will have live updates every hour starting at 7 until results in all the big races are known.

 

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