By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Levy County voters aren’t going to the polls in record numbers as the Nov. 8 general election approaches, but on the other hand, more than 3,800 had cast a ballot as of Wednesday.
The number of absentee (mail-in) ballots cast by Tuesday reached 3,117 and the number of early voters casting ballots at the elections office in Bronson had grown to 724 by late Wednesday.
Early voting takes place in the back room of the election’s office in Bronson. Voters can take advantage of early voting from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day through Nov. 6.
Supervisor of Elections Tammy Jones said the number of voters that cast ballots at this point in the year 2020 was 2,000 above the current total, but she said that was a presidential election year.
She said it’s a good turnout for an off-year election when the stakes aren’t quite as high. The presidential race isn’t on the ballot and all the local county races were decided in the August primary and aren’t on the ballot either.
There are a number of big-name races on the ballot. The highest profile race, arguably, is Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, seeking re-election. His challenger is Democrat Charlie Crist.
The race for the Florida House District 22 seat is on the ballot and is a high-profile contest. Republican Chuck Clemons is running against Democrat Brandon Peters.
In the District 9 State Senate race, Sen. Keith Perry, a Republican, is running against Democrat Rodney Long.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, a Republican, is being challenged by Democrat Aramis Ayala.
In the race for Florida Agriculture Commissioner Republican Wilton Simpson is running against Democrat Naomi Ester Blamur.
The race for the Congressional District 3 seat pits Republican Congresswoman Kat Cammack against Democrat Danielle Hawk and Linda S. Brooks, who has no party affiliation.
There are three constitutional amendments on the ballot.
One of the amendments asks voters whether they favor keeping the Florida Constitutional Revision Commission, which meets once every 20 years, and decides which proposed amendments to the state constitution should reach the ballot.
If voters statewide decide to scrap the controversial 37-member commission, state residents could still petition to have proposed constitutional amendments placed on the ballot.
Jones apologized for two appointed officials at the election’s office who told a Spotlight reporter he had no right to be outside the election’s office taking photographs.
The officials, who didn’t identify themselves, insisted the reporter would have to be 150 feet away from the election’s office, site of the early voting, in order to take photos.
The news media has the right to take photos anywhere outside the polling place. Jones had informed Spotlight of that fact five minutes before the reporter began photographing the voting precinct from a distance.
Spotlight was also rebuffed by a woman who was seated outside the polling place and appeared to be taking notes. She was asked for her name and who she worked for. She declined to comment.
Jones said the woman works for Edison Research, a company that does exit polling. The woman apparently was also counting voters as they walked into the polling place.
Jones said she checked with the state election’s office to find out if the person had a legal right to work outside the polling place. Jones said the state told her the company was within its rights to work outside the polling place, but Jones was worried voters might be offended by being asked who they voted for.
Jones’ gatekeeper outside the entrance to the polling place seemed more concerned about Spotlight asking the Edison Research representative to answer questions than with honoring the First Amendment right of Spotlight to take photos. Jones said she would speak to the two women involved in the incident.
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Enterprise Reporting by Terry Witt October 26, 2022; Posted October 26, 2022
