Tri-Par Resident Tries to Vote For Everything, Including Dog Catcher

Tri-Par Estates resident Mike Peters tries to vote in every election he can. 

"I vote for everything," he said. "I don't even care if it's a dog catcher."

That's a lot of dog catchers, as he has tried to vote ever since he got out of the service in 1973. His wife, however, isn't much for voting.

"She says they all lie," Peters said. "She's not the only one who doesn't believe them all."

Today, Peters' only voting task was for Republican presidential candidates.

Peters, 58, says "the economy really stinks" and is voting for "somebody who can beat Obama." 

With that, his choice is Mitt Romney. For the most part.

"Gingrich can't beat Obama, Santorum can't beat 'em," he said. "But you know what? Ron Paul would probably be my second choice if you would have asked me that. I don't what it is about him."

According to polls, Peters' vote is in the majority for Sarasota and Florida. A Suffolk University poll sponsored by WSVN TV in Miami says Sarasota County voters support Mitt Romney compared to Newt Gingrich 52 percent to 24 percent. The same poll calls Sarasota County a bellwether county, meaning as Sarasota goes, so does the state. 

Much has been made about ads, and even today there's a controversial robocall allegedly paid for by Newt Gingrich saying Romney forced Holocaust survivors to eat non-kosher foods. Gingrich denies knowledge of his campaign putting out the call, The Huffington Post reports. 

Given the mudslinging, Peters says, "people call this a mean race, but you know I don't think that's true. I call this typical. They're going to go after each other."

Along with Peters, 28 percent of Sarasota County Republican voters have voted absentee, early or today at the polls, according to the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections office.

Polls close at 7 p.m.