Early voting started in Hendry County on Monday and already more than 25%of registered voters have cast ballots for the general election.
WGCU’s Andrea Perdomo spoke with Hendry County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Hoots about early voting and projected voter turnout.
Here is a transcription of their conversation:
Perdomo:
Early voting started in your county on Oct. 19. What has voter turnout been like so far?
Hoots:
Phenomenal. So far it's every day has been large numbers. I mean, increase more than the norm. Usually always the presidential general election we have a very good turnout, but we've done even better this time, but we still have to make it to the finish line. We'll see what our final numbers are when we get there.
Perdomo:
Right. Have early voting locations in Hendry seen long wait times?
Hoots:
No. There's actually no wait time. I mean, if anybody had to wait five minutes in line, it's been rare.
Perdomo:
Okay. So you guys are having a record number of people coming in, but it's been smooth?
Hoots:
Yeah. We have three stations at each early voting site and we've been able to keep up with the volume.
Perdomo:
What tips do you have for people who are planning to participate in early voting?
Hoots:
Of course, bring your photo ID when you come to vote. It's always a good that if you take your sample ballot and use it as a tool, know how you're going to vote when you got here. You can bring your sample ballot with you and use it, so you don't have to read the whole ballot here. And another thing is that if you requested a vote by mail ballot and you decided you don't want to use it, it makes everything a lot easier, smoother if you bring that sample ballot and relinquish it and tell them that you've decided you would like to early vote.
Perdomo:
Okay. Are you recommending for people to bring face coverings?
Hoots:
Yes, we do ask that you wear a face mask. If you do not have one, we offer you one. But of course, if you refuse, we will allow you to vote.
Perdomo:
Are you encouraging voters to cast ballots early?
Hoots:
That's my favorite way. I mean, then I know I voted, I put it in the machine, election day can get a little bit crazy for me and I know other people it happens. I've heard it through the years. Oh, something happened, somebody went to the hospital or I just forgot, which would be hard to forget this year, I admit, but I've heard all kinds of stories through the years, so that's why it's just easier. Early voting you see that it's 13 straight days, you put it into your schedule and because we're a rural county, everybody doesn't always come to town every day. You think, "Well, I'm going shopping this day so I'll go early vote that day too while I'm in town."
Perdomo:
And was it difficult to secure poll workers because of the pandemic?
Hoots:
Actually, it was not. It's been one of the easiest years. I was so proud of everyone that reached out and asked to work the polls and people that have worked for years willing to come back and work.
Perdomo:
Mail-in ballots have been a really hot topic this election season, but while looking at your website, I noticed that the amount of vote-by-mail ballots cast so far is almost the same as those cast at early voting sites.
Hoots:
Yeah.
Perdomo:
Is that typical for Hendry County voters?
Hoots:
Well, I mean, it is a large number for vote by mails. I don't know if it's the largest we've ever had, but I know the number that we've sent out, it reflects that also. I mean, everything's increased. I've never seen that I recall in my years working in the elections office, the participation that we're seeing this year. But we're early on in the days too, but if we can keep up this pace, I mean, voter turnout is going to be a record for us.
Perdomo:
For the 2016 general election, were the vote-by-mail ballots and in-person voting kind of similar?
Hoots:
I don't think so. Vote by mail has always been a lower percentage, our early voting is most popular here.
Perdomo:
Well, you said that typically people prefer to participate in early voting, but are you anticipating maybe having a higher number of vote-by-mail ballots?
Hoots:
Oh, I think we already do compared to 2016.
Perdomo:
And is your office tabulating vote by mail ballots as they come in?
Hoots:
No, we're not. Not yet. We start on Thursday, next Thursday canvassing.
Perdomo:
Okay. And as of this morning (Oct. 22), when I last checked, 25% of registered voters in your county have voted so far, what are you expecting the final turnout will be?
Hoots:
I would like to see 75%. Typically in Henry County regretfully, we've been a bit low on what I would like to see the percentages. I'm hoping for 75%, that would be a 10% increase from us from 2016.
And it's always hard because every year our population is growing and we're always having more people registered to vote. So to increase your number of voter registrations and the turnout percentage, that's a big difference. And as you see in 2016, we also had 1800 ballots returned and we already have more than that returned this year.
Perdomo:
Did your office do anything different this year to prepare for election season?
Hoots:
In the LaBelle office we have a smaller facility so we did make some changes in our early voting room that we had some cabinets that we took out, so we could have more booths in there because we felt that the volume was going to be higher for early voting, and so that's helped us.
Perdomo:
Any advice for people planning to vote on election day?
Hoots:
Be prepared. Bring your photo ID, make sure you've already looked over your ballot. You can make up your own cheat sheet, it's not a memory test.
If you need assistance, remember you can bring someone to help you. If you already have it down where we know that you need assistance, you can bring someone with you to help you. We also have a marking device that will either read your ballot to you, or if you have visual impairments, you can zoom in and read the ballot easily. Just, I guess, be prepared. That keeps everything moving. Or if you have an address change or something that you need to update, you could always call us and take care of it before election day, that way it doesn't slow down the line.
Perdomo:
Okay. Is there anything that you would like to share?
Hoots:
We've been so overwhelmed with the turnout. We have just been very, very busy ever since early voting started and we've been busy for months now, but early voting is... The gate was opened and here we go.
Perdomo:
You've been with the Hendry County Supervisor of Elections Office since 1991. What is it about this particular election that kind of makes it stand out?
Hoots:
Well, in past years we've done all kinds of outreaches during the year to basically be out there to help voters get information. And we see the apathy of the public that is not participating. And like I said, we're not to the finish line yet, but with the numbers that we have right now, if they continue every day until election day, this is going to be the highest turnout since 1991. Motor Voter or came into effect where people could register to vote so easily, but yet they didn't participate when it came time to vote. And now it looks as if they are stepping up to the plate and it's like, "Okay, here we go."
Perdomo:
How late do you think you guys are going to be working on election night?
Hoots:
Oh, I don't know. I hope it's not too late because usually if it's very late, then things aren't going as smoothly as you hope.
