LAND O' LAKES, Fla. (WFTS) — Early voting is officially underway in Florida, giving voters a chance to cast their ballots ahead of Election Day — and there's already excitement at some polling locations.
The Land O' Lakes Recreation Complex is one of 12 early voting sites in Pasco County, where voters are turning out feeling empowered and proud.
"Fantastic — glad to get it cast and done," Joel Brown said.
"It's empowering. It's one of the most important things that you can do," Felicia Nasello said.
For many, it's a right they feel honored to take.
"I think the presidential election is pretty important, but this is, in my opinion, one of the most important midterm elections ever in my lifetime," Nasello said.
Diana Morris said casting a ballot in person carries special meaning after her years of service.
"I was in the military for 28 years and I always had to do absentee ballot. So now that I'm out, retired, it's great to do it in person. You get to do it right in the voter booth. It's a very big deal," Morris said.
"You get one vote and that's it. And if you don't use it, you lose it," Enza Brown said.
Voters told me the big-ticket items drawing them to the polls are the governor's race and Amendment 3 — a proposal that could have major implications for property taxes and local government funding.
“Amendment 3 has gotten so screwed up in the way it was presented, and they wrote it completely wrong. It doesn't leave enough for us voters to be able to say, ‘Hey, I want to vote yes to reduce my overall taxes,’ without figuring out what the ramifications are. How do you fund what you're defunding, especially as it relates to police, fire, EMS and the hospitals?” Kirk Love said.
"It's still a topic that I think needs to be further researched. I'm not going to say which way I went. But I think there needs to be more studies done on it because it's a big deal on both sides. So it's not an easy yes or no," Morris said.
Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley said the state's variety of voting options is one of its biggest strengths.
“That’s one of the secret sauce that makes Florida the gold standard — we have options,” Corley said.
"We have 12 locations countywide, so you could live over one side of the county and be over on the other side of the county for work or pleasure, and we're gonna custom print your specific ballot. We print your ballot on demand," Corley said.
Corley said he expects a higher turnout for this midterm compared to others.
"There's a buzz among the voters," Corley said. "We generally see about 55%-ish, and I think we're going to hit over 60%. I firmly believe that," Corley said.
Now, he encourages everyone to make their voice heard.
“We’ve had men and women cross oceans to fight for our freedoms. Some never came back, while other people won’t cross to vote. For me, we have a program called Vote in Honor of a Veteran. My daughter is a chief petty officer in the United States Navy, so she is my veteran I honor when I vote,” Corley said.
For those weighing whether to cast a ballot early, voters had a simple message.
“Get out there and vote. You might think it’s not a big deal, but it wasn’t that long ago women couldn’t get out and vote and your voice wasn’t heard. It’s heard. Get out and do it, whether you think it matters or not, because someone’s gonna get that election or bill passed because you did not participate. Day one, just do it, because if you leave it to the last minute, something might come up,” Morris said.
"I wanted to go ahead and get my vote in early to make sure nothing happens on voting day," Nasello said.
For more information on how you can vote early, click here.
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