LAKE COUNTY, FLA. – More than half of the county’s 254,810 registered voters cast record early ballots Thursday four days before Election Day.
“On October 25 we had 10,293 people show up to vote early– that’s the highest number of early votes cast in one day in Lake County history,” said D’Anne Mica, spokeswoman for the Lake Supervisor of Elections office. “And on the 28th we almost matched that number with 10,246….”
Thursday’s report showed 133,791 of the county’s eligible 254,810 voters had cast early ballots, or 52.51 percent.
In 2020, 91,209 voters cast early ballots, and there were more eligible voters that year – 264,700, according to supervisor records. In 2016, 75,197 of 222,390 eligible voters cast early ballots.
Voters gave various reasons for early voting, including one man who always votes ahead of Election Day. “I just wanted to get it off my plate,” he said.
Another cited convenience. She works the night shift at a hospital. The elections office set up 12 locations across the county for early voting.
Anita Wroblewski dropped off a mail-in ballot in person. She said she likes to take her time filling out the ballot at home after studying the issues and the candidates.
Republicans are outpacing Democratic voters in early voting.
Former President Donald Trump claimed voter fraud cost him the 2020 election and has been especially skeptical of mail-in voting. He is urging supporters to vote early this year.
Jeff Carpenter, a Trump supporter said he was voting early “after what happened in the last election.”
Mick Moul said the 2020 election “was not on the up-and-up.”
Courts around the country ruled there was no evidence the election was stolen.
Researchers and reporters are trying to read the tea leaves. Besides Trump urging supporters to vote early, is there extra enthusiasm this year? Presidential elections always bring out bigger crowds.
Lake County, just north of Orlando and the Interstate 4 corridor, is deeply red on the political map, thanks in part to its large retiree population, while Orlando is blue.
Republicans outnumber registered Democrats 123,328 to 64,471. Early voting statistics this year show 66,705 early voting Republicans compared to 37,435 for the Dems. Non-party affiliated (NPA) voters totaled 26,457. The other” category totaled 3,194. The number of NPA voters is growing every year.
Mail-in ballots this year total 39,005 versus 94,746 early voting.
In 2020, 69,976 people voted by mail compared to 91,209 for early voting. In 2016, 32,661 voted by mail compared to 75,197 early voting. There was a reason: Covid.
The figure to really look at are the percentages. Democrats still like to vote early – 58 percent this year. The number was 41 percent in 2020. But 54 percent of Republicans voted early this time, up from 30 percent.
So, what does it all mean? Will there be fewer Election Day voters? Or is it a sign of more GOP enthusiasm and higher turnout overall? Polls show a tight race, but is that accurate? Undecided voters, though small in number, and nonpartisan voters will have a major impact.