‘Every Vote Counts’: Voters Hit The Polls Tuesday In Pinellas County

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Pinellas County voters are eager to cast their ballot in Tuesday’s general elections.

They have a say in a range of races and issues, from the gubernatorial contest between incumbent Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and Democratic challenger Charlie Crist to local city races and referendums.

Hollee Kira, who works in downtown St. Petersburg and dropped off her mail-in ballot at the Supervisor of Elections Office at 501 1st Ave. N. on Tuesday morning, told Patch that she’s voting this year “to make a difference.”

She added, “I think every vote counts.”

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Kira said that she thinks many others are energized to vote this year, as well.

“I think a lot of people want to see change,” she said. “I feel great about everything. I feel like there’s more people voting than have in the past.”

As of 11 a.m. on Tuesday, 325,487 Pinellas County voters had already voted, representing 46.79 percent of all eligible voters, according to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections office. There are 695,575 registered voters in the county.

In 2018, the last gubernatorial election in Florida, the voter turnout in Pinellas County was 65.92 percent.

So far, most of those who voted in the county this year — nearly 232,000 of them — did so by mail, while about 46,000 participated in early voting and nearly 48,000 hit the polls in person on Election Day.

Republican voters have slightly outpaced Democrats, so far, with more than 132,000 GOP voters casting their ballot. More than 120,000 Democrats and more than 67,000 voters with no party affiliation voted.

Pinellas Community Church at 5501 31st S. in St. Petersburg was bustling midday.

A volunteer with Republican Linda Chaney's state House re-election campaign, who visited about half a dozen voting places so far on Tuesday, told Patch that "it's probably one of the busiest polls in the district."

Kesha Smith, a volunteer for Pat Girard, a Democrat seeking re-election to the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners, said the elections are divisive this year, which is obvious as she stands outside the polling station at the south St. Petersburg church.

"What we're seeing is people coming up and if it's not their party, they're not interested in the other party. They want nothing to do with it," she told Patch.

While Democrats have been interested in the campaign literature she's handing out, "you don't even get a 'no thank you' from Republicans," Smith said.

Kathy Gustafson-Hilton, a volunteer with the Democratic Party, said the church was busy first thing Tuesday morning and has seen a steady stream of voters throughout the day.

"We handed out a lot of literature. A lot of people are saying it's helpful," she told Patch. "I think the Democrats were out early. They got it over with."

Gustafson-Hilton added, "This afternoon. I think we're seeing more Republicans."

Another Democratic volunteer, who declined to give their name, told Patch the party's literature breaking down each race and issue has been helpful for voters.

"The ballot is so long and a little confusing," he said.

Morning Voters In Pinellas County

Maggie Haseman of St. Petersburg makes sure that she votes in every election, but this year was especially driven by the issue of abortion.

The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the nation’s landmark abortion ruling, this summer. Florida also saw a new 15-week abortion ban signed into law by DeSantis earlier this year.

“I’m really concerned about the Roe v. Wade issue. I wanted to make sure I had a say,” Haseman told Patch. “I’m also hoping that DeSantis is out.”

She also paid extra attention to the judges on the ballot this year, voting against keeping anti-choice judges in office.

She said most in her circle of friends voted similarly and she’s feeling good about the election.

“I’m feeling motivated,” she said. “I’ll call it hopeful optimism.”

In 2018, Haseman was disappointed when Democratic candidate Andrew Gillum lost the governor’s race to DeSantis. This pushed her to become more involved in this election, sending out postcards and making phone calls for candidates she supports.

“I’m from a blue state,” she said, noting that she’d previously lived in Colorado and Oregon. “So, I’m not used to being disappointed.”