Primary election numbers highest in 26 years

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  • It was an election that saw Marcos Lopez defeat incumbent Russ Gibson in the sheriff ’s race; and Kelvin Soto beating incumbent Armando Ramirez in the Clerk’s Office contest.
    It was an election that saw Marcos Lopez defeat incumbent Russ Gibson in the sheriff ’s race; and Kelvin Soto beating incumbent Armando Ramirez in the Clerk’s Office contest.
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The percentage of registered voters for the Aug. 18, primary election in Osceola County was the highest in 26 years, according to Supervisor of Elections Mary Jane Arrington.

Of the 226,348 registered voters in Osceola, 53,891 ballots were cast equaling 23.81 percent.

That’s compared to 20 percent in 2018 and 2016 and 16 percent in 2014.

“It’s the highest primary turnout we’ve had in 26 years (1992),” said Arrington. “I’m really pleased. I thought we did really well. It shows that mail-in ballots do work.”

This year marked the highest request for main-in ballots, Arrington noted. They received a total of an estimated 36,000.

Why the record number of voters? Arrington believed there was just a lot of interest in the candidates this year.

It was an election that saw Marcos Lopez defeat incumbent Russ Gibson in the sheriff ’s race; and Kelvin Soto beating incumbent Armando Ramirez in the Clerk’s Office contest.

County Commissioner Fred Hawkins Jr. won the Florida State House District 42 primary with 46.6 percent over Diana Liebnitzky in second with 29.8 percent.

And Osceola County Commissioner Peggy Choudhry will advance to November after winning 50.4 percent of the vote Tuesday night in the Democratic primary for Osceola County Commission district 1. She defeated Kissimmee Mayor Jose Alvarez, who finished second with 40.3 percent, and former County Commissioner Michael Harford, who won just under 10 percent.

Arrington herself won heavily, winning the primary with 69 percent over Jaime Matos, who finished with 30.9 percent.

“I think it says that the people think we are trying to do a good job,” Arrington said. “We have made a lot of positive changes since I’ve been in office and I think people appreciate that.”

As far as dealing with COVID-19, Arrington believed her office adapted well.

Inside, all poll workers wore masks and plastic face shields. Stickers on the floor indicated recommend physical distancing standards among strangers, and hand sanitizer pumps were everywhere. Ballots were being

Ballots were being placed in sheets of paper, which were thrown away after every use. The ballots were once distributed to voters in manilla folders. And styluses were replaced by cotton swabs.

Going forward to the Nov. 3 General Election, Arrington said she’s already has 75,000 requests for mail-in ballots.

“I think we are going to have a turnout in November that’s really good too,” Arrington said.

To read the primary results story, go to https://www.aroundosceola.com/news/primary-electiongibson-upset-lopezsheriffs-race.