Two-thirds of Manatee County voters cast ballots in election

More than two-thirds of eligible Manatee County voters cast ballots in Tuesday’s election, according to unofficial numbers from the Supervisors of Election.

The polls officially closed at 7 p.m., but votes were still be collected afterward. As of 9:41 p.m., 163,450 county residents had voted Tuesday, during early voting or by mail. That equals a turnout of 66.69 percent of 245,088 eligible voters, shattering the mark of 56.96 percent set in the 2014 midterm elections when more than 121,000 people in Manatee voted.

Voting was steady throughout the day, and there were no reports of serious problems at the polls.

Voting Tuesday morning was “critical” for De’Shawn Williams.

“There’s a lot of stuff going in in the world right now, stuff needs to change,” Williams said. “It’s about humanity and anything to help us go forward.”

Williams was just one of dozens of voters who formed a slow trickle through the doors of the Bradenton Dream Center, 1816 Ninth St. W., shortly after polls opened Tuesday morning.

There was no line outside the door, and Kelly McLane attributed that and her quick voting process to early voting.

By 8 a.m., the parking lot was starting to fill with vehicles as voters made their way inside.

“I remember when there were lines out to the street,” McLane said of the days before early voting, when she used to cast her ballot on Anna Maria Island.

About 5 p.m., a steady of stream of voters were flowing in and out of the Bradenton Dream Center. While President Donald Trump isn’t on the ballot, it was clear from Manatee voters that his agenda is.

Lisandra Pellicier is from Puerto Rico, and though a U.S. citizen, she is upset with the way Trump is handling the immigration issue.

“Not every immigrant is a murderer or a rapist,” Pellicier said. “I don’t think it’s fair and everybody deserves a chance.”

Pellicier said health insurance is another issue for her and noted she voted straight Democrat across the board.

Bobby Bellino, it was the same two issues, but he had a different opinion in voting straight Republican.

Affordable health care is important, but it shouldn’t be funded by the government,” Bellino said. “We are smarter than this and should be able to find a way to get it done.”

As for immigration, Bellino said there is a process in place for immigrants to get into the country legally.

“You can’t put more dishes in the dishwasher than the dishwasher can handle,” Bellino said. “You have to follow the legal process.”

Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett said that there had been no reported problems or issues.

Bennett said he will get calls “because an iPad didn’t open,” or “someone didn’t have their ID,” but he reported no other issues.

Turnout was heavy, he said, adding that “Manatee County really votes.”

By Tuesday afternoon, Bennett said the county’s voter turnout for 2018 may be the highest yet for a non-presidential election, but that has yet to be confirmed.

Karen Hormuth said she also thought early voting may have contributed to fewer people going through the polling site Tuesday morning, giving people more opportunities to vote.

Hormuth, however, waited until Election Day. She said, especially with the races for governor and U.S. Senate, she needed the extra time to make her final decisions.

The governor’s race and waiting until Tuesday to make a decision were also important to Williams.

“I needed all that time to weigh all the odds out,” Williams said.

With small child in tow, Ronald Houston also reported no issues voting at the Bradenton DreamCenter.

Houston said he was even able to change his address at the polling site and vote in just a few minutes.

No one who spoke with the Bradenton Herald outside the DreamCenter reported any issues voting at the location.

Voting was heavy at the Parrish YMCA, Precinct 139, where the voting line stretched from the entrance to a side street at 7 a.m.

“I always vote. I take the time to look at every single candidate on the ballot. I split my ticket, but I lean Republican,” Rick Bruning said as he left the Parrish precinct.

Courtney Turco also voted at the Parrish YMCA and said that for the most part she voted for Democrats.

“I would prefer that politics were more purplish, more to the middle,” Turco said.

Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, Precinct 517, also saw a line of voters out the door at 7 a.m. but by 8:30 a.m., there was no line.

Sravan Thangeda and his wife Deethi Thangeda, both originally from India, were voting in their first United States election, and took a selfie outside Lakewood Ranch Town Hall to mark the occasion.

“I have no party affiliation. We wanted to vote and make it count,” Sravan Thangeda said.

Although he split his ticket, Sravan Thangeda said he leaned Democrat in his first U.S. election.

“It’s just a gut feeling this time,” he said.

Will Alexander also voted at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, and said he “preferred a red wave, Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis especially. I want to keep the economy going, and I voted a straight ticket.”

Jo-Anne Yermak also voted at Lakewood Ranch.

“I vote all the time. I split my ticket, but voted for more Republicans, and the dogs,” she said of the constitutional amendment that would ban greyhound racing.

A line of at least a dozen people was steady at the Oneco United Methodist Church polling site. The wait to get inside was about 10 minutes Jennifer Brughelli said, though once inside, things were “quick.”

As voters walked from their cars to the line, Pam French, District 4 coordinator and chair of the Progressive Caucus, could be heard from her tent under the shade of some nearby trees thanking people for coming out to vote. French said each of the three precincts she was in charge of Tuesday — the Oneco United Methodist Church site, Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Rec Hall, and Faith Lutheran Church in Parrish — all had lines of voters waiting to get inside since polls opened at 7 a.m.

Abby Severo said the wait at Oneco United Methodist Church wasn’t bad, and once she got inside it was “so easy.” But this election was different for her because it taught her something new.

Severo, 21, said though this isn’t her first time voting, she learned a lot researching Amendment 13. When she heard about the amendment, which would ban dog racing in Florida, Severo said she “didn’t know it was even a problem.” One of her family members, she said, owns greyhounds. After her research, Severo said she voted “yes” to the amendment.

At 53 years old, John Divesti said he’s found the older he gets, the more he’s involved in what’s going on.

One issue he was sure of Tuesday while casting his ballot at GT Bray Park was voting to end dog racing in Florida.

At the South Manatee Branch Library precinct, Regina Light said she voted “no” on the same amendment. She said the wording of the amendment was “iffy,” to her.

Light said she waited in a short line when she arrived to vote late Tuesday morning, but the line moved quickly.

Barbra Reckhow said while the site didn’t have information she wanted on judges, she said she did her own research on a smart phone at the poll to make and educated vote. Otherwise, Reckhow and her husband Wayne Reckhow, who she pushed in a wheelchair, had no issues with voting.

She went on to praise the polling site for being accommodating to people with handicaps by having a “marked and open” table for voting.

As part of his Election Day schedule, U.S. House of Representatives candidate David Shapiro stopped at the Manatee County Democratic Party Headquarters to thank volunteers.

The room, filled with more than two dozen volunteers, erupted in cheers for Shapiro after his two-minute speech.

Volunteers Carol McCarthy and Mary Conway were pleased that Shapiro visited Tuesday.

“I think it means a lot by him show up, he understands what it takes for everyone here,” McCarthy said.

Shapiro said Tuesday felt “like something really, really special,” and as a candidate, the more than 50 percent voter turnout in Manatee County before noon “has got to be good for us.”

“I believe the more people that come out are going to benefit us. Generally speaking, I think that’s what usually happens. The more they come out the bigger our chances are,” Shapiro said.

Shapiro left shortly after to drive voters to the polls.

“Keep calling, keep doing, keep going, let’s do this,” he said before he left.

At the Palmetto Point Civic Association, Precinct 107, a 98-year-old voter showed up with a mail-in ballot.

The woman was initially told that the precinct could not accept the ballot and that by law she would have to deliver it to the Supervisor of Elections Office in Bradenton.

When Curtis Troxell, the precinct clerk, heard about it, he went into the parking lot and brought the woman back to the precinct.

Precinct workers voided the mail-in ballot, and issued her a new ballot to complete at the precinct.

The woman left happy, and smiling.

“I hope to see you again in two years,” Wayne Dixon, the precinct deputy told the voter as she left, “and she replied ‘you definitely will.’ She is the sweetest lady.”

Jeff Keen and Patricia Keen-Fried voted at a different Palmetto precinct. They said they didn’t run into any issues with their ballots at Church of Hope, 1701 10th St. W. They’ve been voting at the location for years and said it’s always “quick and smooth.”

Both residents aren’t registered with any particular political party. Instead, they look at the issues that each candidate stands for and vote accordingly. Keen-Fried said she was more interested in local races, like county commission and school board seats.

Voting is about doing your homework beforehand, said Ryan Killengsworth, who also cast his ballot at the Church of Hope. He’s registered as a Republican, but said he took the time to research each candidate’s stance on major issues.

“It’s really about reading through their policies and seeing what they talk about doing,” he said.

One of the county’s busiest precincts was Rocky Bluff Library in Ellenton.

Carrie Shea said one of the issues which she felt strongest about was Amendment 6, which would expand the scope of victims’ rights.

“I have friends who were affected,” she said of victim’s rights.

A traditional Democrat, she found herself “voting all over the place” this year.

“The older I get that has changed. I surprised myself this year,” she said.

Anna Maria Island residents were also visiting the polls in droves on Tuesday.

Kelly Gitt, an Air Force veteran and mother of five, not only voted, but handed out about 100 miniature American flags to other voters.

Gitt was in the parking lot of Saint Bernard Catholic Church, 248 Harbor Dr. S., greeting voters as they left Precinct 305.

“I supported Amendment 2, which put a cap on property taxes. I am a strong supporter of the military, and support border control,” Gitt said.

Further south at Precinct 307 in the Bradenton Beach Fire Hall, 201 2nd St. N., Kim Wind voted about 4 p.m.

“I just want to encourage people to vote. This is their right,” Wind said.

This story was originally published November 6, 2018 at 8:51 AM.