Supervisor of Elections Jenna Persons-Mulicka is predicting an August 18 Primary Election turn-out that exceeds the 2024 Primary.
In fact the number of early voters this year was almost double 2024.
In 2024, there were 13,702 early votes cast.
Early turnout already almost double
There were 26,297 early ballots cast this year.
The total turn-out for the 2024 Primary 109,678, or 23% of eligible voters.
There had already been 96,853 cast this year, with early voting ending Saturday.
On Election Day 2024, 15,969 voters went to the polls and cast ballots. Some 80,007 voted by mail.
According to the Elections Office there are 496,553 registered voters in Lee County as of August 14. When the books closed for the Primary on July 20 there were 494,200 eligible voters. That is the number actually eligible to vote in the Primary.
GOP registration still over double Dems
Of those just less than half – 246,065, are Republicans. There are 106,514 Democrats registered to vote and 143,974 others, registered as Independent, No Party Affiliation or some other party.
So far 54,567 Republican votes have been counted. There have been 27,776 Democrat ballots and 12,976 NPA, with 1,534 others.
The Elections Office began receiving ballots on July 7 when the first two mail-in ballots were delivered. It has stayed busy. Early voting at the polling places peaked on August 15, the last day, with 5,555 voters showing up.
Between the early votes and the mail-ins, the most ballots received was on August 11 with a combined total of 7,814.
Governor’s race, open commission race drive turnout
The 2024 Primary lacked the draw of a Congressional race or a governor’s race. Those could be bringing out more voters this year.
Likewise ,this year includes a so-called Universal Primary. Incumbent Trish Petrosky faces off with Amandaa Cochran in Lee County Commission District 5. Since both are Republicans and there is no other candidate, every registered voter can cast a ballot and the winner will be chosen.
Cochran lost to Commissioner Mike Greenwell in the 2024 Primary.
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Charlie Whitehead covers Lee County and Fort Myers. Reach him at cwhitehead@gannett.com
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Elections supervisor Persons-Mulicka predicts big turnout – we’re on track
Reporting by Charlie Whitehead, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Charlie Whitehead, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
