Election Day: Manatee County voters head to the polls for local primary races
Thousands of voters hit the polls around Manatee County on Tuesday to cast their ballots in the primary election.
Top local races include contests for seats on the county commission, school board and the Supervisor of Elections.
Nearly 21,000 people voted on Election Day, according to unofficial turnout numbers from the Supervisor of Elections Office. Over 34,000 residents voted by mail and more than 11,600 votes were cast during early voting.
At some polling stations, political candidates for school board, county commission and other offices were camped out in the parking lot making last-minute appeals to potential voters.
James and Jennifer Lahman from Northwest Bradenton said school board elections brought them out to the polls.
They said they were supporting candidates who are in favor of pulling certain books from school libraries.
“Some of it is too young, too soon,” James Lahman said.
Kristen Ribble said she came out to vote against what she feels is a developer-controlled commission.
“I recently switched to Republican for this election, because I feel like if at least some of those seats aren’t developer-controlled, it will even the playing field,” Ribble said.
Others said their voting experience was “excellent” and “everything went smoothly.”
Political opponents clash at Bradenton polling place
But there was tension in the parking lot at one polling station where an alleged clash between political supporters of a commission candidate and an elected official drew Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies.
District 3 commission candidate Tal Siddique said he called deputies to the Bradenton Elks Lodge off of 75th Street West after Commissioner Jason Bearden allegedly yelled at Siddique’s wife and others.
Bearden told deputies that people were getting in his space and recording him.
Deputies talked to both groups and encouraged them not to interact.
Polls open until 7 p.m.
Manatee County polling places closed at 7 p.m.
Look up your polling place on the Supervisor of Elections website at VoteManatee.com.
This story was originally published August 20, 2024 at 4:24 PM.