60% of Manatee voters have cast their ballots. Sunday is last chance for early voting
Early voting locations were bustling in Manatee County on Saturday with many residents taking advantage and not waiting until Tuesday to cast their ballots.
Sunday will be the last opportunity for anyone in Florida to vote in person ahead of Tuesday’s general election. Early voting locations will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Anyone who has a vote-by-mail ballot but has not yet returned their ballot, will need to drop it off instead of mailing it to ensure it is received by 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Ballot boxes will still be available on Sunday at the county’s six early voting locations:
- Supervisor of Elections Office, 600 301 Blvd. W. #108, Bradenton.
- Palmetto Library, 923 6th St W, Palmetto.
- Rocky Bluff Library, 6750 U.S. Hwy 301, Ellenton.
- Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, 8175 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch.
- Manatee County Utilities Administrative Offices, 4410 66th St. W., Bradenton.
- Florida Department of Transportation Operation Center, 14000 SR 64 E., Bradenton.
On Monday and Tuesday, vote-by-mail ballots can only be dropped off at the Supervisor of Elections office.
Early voting was going smoothly on Saturday, according to Supervisor of Elections Michael Bennett.
“One problem that people were complaining about is that there is huge Trump rally over by the DeSoto Square mall and the Republicans are having a hard time getting in to vote,” Bennett said.
The caravan of Trump supports was causing traffic jams along 301 Boulevard, near the Supervisor of Elections office.
Even with a mask on, the smile on Soloman Morris’ face was still visible when he left the office after voting.
The early voting experience was “fantastic,” he said.
Morris, 80, got a ride to vote from Eldred Brown, 63, who he considers an adoptive son. Morris, Brown and Brown’s 5-year-old granddaughter, Ladreamda Marshall, posed for photos together afterward.
“If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have voted.” Morris said.
For Brow, early voting seemed the best option. “There’s no long line and you can take your time with the ballot.”
Both men said voted for for former Vice President Joe Biden for president.
“I believe he will help us,” Morris said.
Brown pointed towards the caravan of Trump supporters on the street as he said, “ You can really see the racists in Manatee County.”
Many of the Trump supporters, he noticed, were veterans. He said he couldn’t understand how a veteran could support the president
“The man called you losers after you served your country,” Brown said.
As of about 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, there were already 164,423 ballots cast — about 60% of registered voters in Manatee County.
The county is on track to see record turnout for the Nov. 3 general election, according to Bennett.
“I have been to every one of the locations this morning and every one of them had some kind of line,” Bennett said. “It’s going good.”
Over at the Manatee County Utilities Administrative Offices, Destiny and Devin Ramsey waited in line with their 2-year-old daughter, Julia, for about 10 minutes to cast their ballots.
“It’s pretty smooth, but there aren’t enough polling stations inside,” he said. “This is the longest I have ever had to wait.”
The Bradenton couple opted to vote early on Saturday together, because it was the only day that worked with their schedules.
“I liked it. I don’t like going to a large spot,” she said.
Both voted for President Donald Trump, citing his support for law enforcement as a primary reason.
Diana Khalil, 57, waited in the same line to cast a ballot for Trump. Her biggest reason for supporting the president is because her son is a law enforcement officer in Virginia, where she is from.
“We need someone who will stand up against the bullies,” she added.
Khalil explained that she also supported the president because he would shut down protests, unlike the Democrats.
“White supremacists. Black Lives Matter. I don’t care who’s protesting,” she said. “We can’t visit our loved ones but they can protest?”
Recently becoming a full-time Bradenton resident, Khalil rode her bicycle 45 minutes from her home to the early voting location.
“I’m not keen on mail-in voting,” she said. “Drop-off is OK, but I’m old school. I want to put my ballot in myself.”
