Voting numbers pile up in advance of Election Day in Sarasota, Manatee

Early, in-person voting has come to a close after a seven-day run, but vote-by-mail ballots are still arriving, and voting precincts in Sarasota and Manatee counties will open at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

Voters in Sarasota may cast ballots for or against renewing Sarasota County Schools’  optional 1-mill property tax.  Manatee voters also have a 1-mill optional property tax to decide on, that school district’s first such tax.

On Longboat Key, three town commission seats are contested, along with referendums on a charter revision and the financing of fire station renovations.

Polls will remain open until 7 p.m.

In Sarasota County:

• 308,844 registered voters are eligible.
• 33,439 vote-by-mail ballots have been returned on the Sarasota County school tax, and 5,797 early, in-person ballots were cast.

In Manatee County:

• 235,388 registered voters are eligible.

• 30,668 vote-by-mail ballots have been returned and 1,624 early, in-person ballots were cast.

In Longboat Key

• 6,301 registered voters are eligible (2,078 in Manatee and 4,223 in Sarasota)
• 516 mail-in ballots were returned from Sarasota voters in Longboat Key and 1,313-in person votes were cast early.
• 338  mail-in ballots were returned from Manatee voters in Longboat Key and 278 in-person votes were cast early.

Rain is in the forecast on Tuesday. According to weather.com, the likelihood of rain and storms increases throughout the day.

For voter information, visit votemanatee.com (941-741-3823) or sarasotavotes.com (941-861-8600).