Early voting in various places around Pasco County ended Saturday, and although there’s still room to receive more mail-in ballots on Monday, county elections supervisor Brian Corley has to be happy with the turnout so far.
Pasco County Early Voting has ended! Strong turnout, happy voters, a grateful SOE for an amazing staff! Turnout at http://t.co/OksPq7nIyy
— Brian Corley (@brianecorley) November 1, 2014
More than 77,000 ballots have been cast through Sunday, representing 25 percent of the more than 300,000 registered voters eligible to head to the polls for the Nov. 4 mid-term elections. While that is a strong early number, Corley now is wondering whether that will be enough — after adding this coming Tuesday’s numbers — to beat the 47 percent turnout of 2010.
So Pasco already has a Pre-ED turnout of 25%, Remaining question is how many come out on Tuesday! Hoping to beat 47% from 2010! #pascovotes
— Brian Corley (@brianecorley) November 1, 2014
Republicans made up 44 percent of early voters, with a little more than 34,200 ballots cast there. Democrats accounted for 35 percent with nearly 27,200 ballots. Third parties and independents made up the rest with 20 percent, or a little more than 15,500 ballots.
That’s showing a stronger turnout for Republicans so far, which typically makes up about 38 percent of Pasco’s registered voters. Democrats have slightly stronger numbers as well, since they represent just 33 percent of registered voters, while independents and members of other parties have not come out as much as they could, typically making up 28 percent of registered voters.
Candidates, at least in the gubernatorial race, feel it’s going to be independents that are a deciding factor in a race that remains a statistical dead heat going into the final days of the race.
The best turnout was from voters who cast their ballots normally at First Assembly of God, located on State Road 54 in Zephyrhills, where 985 ballots received makes up 38 percent of their total voter registry. The more than 2,500 registered voters there, according to the elections supervisor office, are 40 percent Republican, 35 percent Democrat, and 25 percent everyone else.
The lowest turnout so far is from Darby Community Church on Bellamy Brothers Boulevard in Dade City, where 90 ballots were cast, or just under 12 percent. The 762 voters there are 42 percent Republican, 34 percent Democrat and 24 percent independents and members of third parties.
More than 4,600 voters turned up for the final day of early voting, slightly above the average of a little more than 4,000 ballots a day cast in early voting. Unlike other counties in Florida, Pasco did not offer Sunday voting in the final days leading up to Nov. 4, although polls were open the Sunday before.
Early voting did not catch up to mail-in ballots, which accounted for 58 percent of the total turnout so far.
Everyone who hasn’t voted will get that chance on Tuesday, when polls open at 7 a.m.
