Election Day crowds expected despite record early voting

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Election Day is nearly upon us. At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, the polls will be closed, and our team will bring you the results.

Tuesday is the big day, but most Florida voters chose to take the early voting route this year.

WINK News reporter Maddie Herron said that election officials in Collier, Lee, and Charlotte counties have seen a record number of early voters, but they still expect the polls to be busy on Election Day.

So, what can you expect if you’re casting a ballot the day of?

Even before the ballot, this election season has been stressful for Floridians like Bernard Blake, who lost everything to recent hurricanes.

“It’s just hard to watch a lot of your life go away,” Blake explained.

Even so, he showed up at the Charlotte County Courthouse on Monday to learn his polling location because no storm could take away his determination to vote.

“If you’re going to complain about things, why are you not voting? Voting is the right to stand up and say you don’t like this or you don’t like that,” said Blake. “You want somebody to get in there that’s gonna do something to make it right?”

Blake is one of the thousands of southwest Floridians who plan to cast their ballot on Tuesday, adding to a record number of early votes already cast.

In-person voting and long lines tend to go hand-in-hand on election day.

So, when is the best time to avoid them? We asked each county’s supervisor of elections what they recommend.

In Charlotte County, early morning may be your best bet.

For Lee County, it’s a little later in the day.

And Collier County says lunchtime is crunch time!

All three expect the busiest times to be right when poll doors open and at the end of the work day.

“Just bring your patience to the polls tomorrow,” said Collier County Supervisor of Elections Melissa Blazier.

Advice echoed across county lines.

Leah Valenti, the Supervisor of Elections for Charlotte County, said, “You’re exercising the highest right, your right to vote and have your voice heard, but just be patient.”

If you vote on Tuesday, election officials want you to be prepared and know where to go!

This is a reminder that your early voting poll location may not be the same as your designated election day spot.

To find the right polling location in your county, check your county locations here:

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