Early voting to start Saturday

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Early voting to start Saturday

County News

Wednesday, 01 August 2012 13:15

By Fallan Patterson
Staff Writer
Early voting for the Aug. 14 election primary begins Saturday and Osceola County Supervisor of Elections Mary Jane Arrington said she is encouraging voters to make their voices heard.

“There may be a misconception that voting in the primary election doesn’t count, but voting in any election is an important privilege that every voter needs to exercise,’’ Arrington said. “If you do not vote and just assume that your one vote won’t make a difference, your candidate may not make it to the general election. It could mean the difference in a race that is important to you. That is why we urge all voters to vote in every election.’’
The primary election could determine winners for the Osceola County School Board and the Kissimmee City Commission as well as the county judge positions.
However, it’s not just those races that matter. Many other races have many candidates and need the public’s help in narrowing the choices by political lines for the November ballot.
For example, the Osceola County Clerk of Court race has seven candidates including three Democrats and four Republicans. Voters in the primary have the opportunity to select whom they deem the best candidate in each political party to face off in November. Voters cannot cross party lines during the primary election. Democrats may vote only for Democratic or nonpartisan candidates; the same for Republicans.
In the 2008 primary election, just 1,700 out of 13,874 registered Osceola County voters cast a ballot during early voting, according to the Elections Office.
“Whether a voter takes advantage of early voting, voting by mail or voting at the polls on election day, we want the voters of Osceola County to get out and vote,” Arrington said.
Early voting gives voters eights days to make their selections at six locations before the Aug. 14 primary election.
Early voting this year also includes two Saturdays and a Sunday, plus extended hours to make polling locations available to those who work non-traditional schedules.
Additionally, voters aren’t limited to a polling location during early voting.
“A registered voter can live in Celebration and go vote at the St. Cloud library during early voting,” Arrington said. “Early voting is about making it more convenient for voters. We want to make sure everyone has a chance to vote.”
Early voting days can be crucial to those citizens with busy lives or who may have something important scheduled on the actual date of the primary.
“Sometimes if it’s election day, you vote before work, on your lunch hour or after work and if something happens, you don’t get to go,” Elections Office spokeswoman Amber Smith said.
Early voting also employs approximately 180 election workers during the eight days.
There are approximately 400 poll workers on election day.
Early voting will be from Saturday to Aug. 11 with the hours scheduled from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Aug. 10 and noon to 7 p.m. Aug. 11.
The primary election will be Aug. 11 and the General Election is scheduled for Nov. 6.