24.45 Percent Of Hillsborough County Voters Have Cast Ballots

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — After more than a week of early voting, Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer is reminding voters that the time to cast a ballot in the Nov. 8 general election is running out.

"This is a long ballot with three constitutional amendments, and if voters wait until the last minute to vote, we could have lines on election day," said Latimer.

Hillsborough County has 342,601 registered Democrats, 290,071 registered Republicans and 292,219 voters who are members of minor parties or have no party affiliation.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 226,120 voters in the county had cast ballots at early voting sites or by vote-by-mail ballots for a 24.45 percent voter turnout.

Of that total, the majority of voters (156,616) have cast ballots by mail.

Democrats are leading in getting out the vote early. Latimer said 92,595 Democrats have voted so far compared to 87,604 Republicans.

During the 2020 presidential general election, Hillsborough County saw a 76.8 percent voter turnout. That's significantly more than the 2018 general election in which Floridians voted to put Gov. Ron DeSantis in the governor's mansion. That election saw a total voter turnout of 57.5 percent.

Hillsborough County's unofficial turnout to date, which includes vote-by-mail and in-person early voting, is lower than it was at this time in the 2018 midterm general election, Latimer said.

"Frankly, I'm a little disappointed with the turnout so far, so I am working to make sure voters know about the convenience of early voting," said Latimer.

During the early voting period, voters can choose from 26 early voting sites open every day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Sunday, Nov. 6. Click here for a list of early voting sites.

If there are several locations that are convenient for voters, they can check the wait times at VoteHillsborough.gov before deciding where to vote.

Voters should bring a Florida driver's license or other acceptable photo and signature ID for voter check-in.

If they forget their ID, they can vote a provisional ballot and their eligibility will be verified before the ballot is tabulated.

Voters who requested a vote-by-mail ballot can drop their voted mail ballot off at those sites as well. Vote-by-mail ballots must be received by the supervisor of elections office by 7 p.m. on election day.

See related story:

• Vote Or Don't Vote? Court Action On Referendum Confounds Voters
• Nov. 8 Election Guide For Hillsborough County; Early Voting Underway

"On election day, you don't have a choice of locations anymore," said Latimer."You must vote near your residence in the polling place assigned to your precinct. And if it's busy, you have to wait."

Hillsborough County voters can go to the 2022 general election page on the supervisor of elections website to look up their sample ballot, make their voting decisions in advance, and consider their options for where and when they cast their ballot.

On election day, Nov. 8, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Voters who wait until election day must vote in the polling place assigned to their precinct. Click here to find election day precincts.

To avoid delays at the polling place, voters should bring one or two forms of current identification that include their signature and photo. Without proper identification, residents may still vote a provisional ballot, which will later be evaluated by a canvassing board for eligibility.

Any of the following forms of photo identification are acceptable:

• Florida driver's license
• Florida ID card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• U.S. passport
• Debit or credit card
• Military ID
• Student ID
• Retirement center ID
• Neighborhood association ID
• Public assistance ID
• Veteran health ID issued by the Veterans Administration
• Concealed weapons license
• Government employee ID

If your photo ID does not include your signature, you will be asked to provide another ID that has your signature.

To keep voting lines moving, Latimer advises voters to fill out a sample ballot in advance. Residents can download a sample ballot here.

If you received a vote-by-mail ballot but have decided to vote in person instead, your vote-by-mail ballot will be canceled.

When you arrive at the polls on election day:

1. Check in with your valid and current photo and signature ID.
2. Receive your paper ballot and proceed to a privacy booth.
3. Using the black pen provided, completely fill in the oval next to each of your selections.
4. Review your ballot. If you wish to make changes, request another ballot.
5. If you have any questions, ask a poll worker before you insert the ballot in the scanner. Once a ballot has been accepted, it cannot be retrieved.

If you are satisfied with your selections:

• Take your ballot to the optical scanner in the secrecy folder provided.
• Insert your ballot into the optical scan feeder.
• The scanner will record your votes and place your ballot into the locked ballot box.
• The scanner will alert you if your ballot appears blank or if it detects too many votes.
• You will have the option to either submit the ballot as is or make changes.
• You are not required to vote in every race or for every issue on the ballot; therefore, the scanner will not alert you of instances in which you did not vote.