Early in-person voting opens in Sarasota County

Sarasota County voters are showing up on the first day of early in-person voting, data shows.

As of 1 p.m. Monday, more than 4,500 people had shown up to one of the county's 10 voting locations to cast their ballots, the website of the Supervisor of Elections office indicates.

Couple that with more than 37,000 mail-in ballots that have already been received by the elections office, more than 12% of eligible voters in Sarasota County have already cast their ballot.

In downtown Sarasota, more than 600 people had voted at the elections office in the Terrace Building, and 140 voters at the North Sarasota Library.    

Data also shows slightly more Democrats (17,033) are taking advantage of early voting and vote-by mail than Republican voters (15,980). 

The foot traffic in and out of the building was brisk at midday with many people carrying their mail-in ballots to be dropped off. 

The in-person voting process was "very smooth," said Kim Parris, who had just cast her ballot. "It only took about 10 minutes, you show an I.D., sign a paper and mark your ballot in private," she said.

In the parking lot outside the Terrace Building, Claudia Barnett was helping man the Democratic Party tent, passing out campaign literature. In her two hours on duty, she estimated more Democrats were voting early that Republicans. 

She had her own polling method. "If they don't make eye contact, it's all over," she said, as a car drove by the blue tent. As she held up a sample ballot, the driver simply put his hand up. "That's a 'no,'" she laughed.

The early voting locations in Sarasota are:

• Sarasota elections office, 2001 Adams Lane
• Venice elections office, 4000 S. Tamiami Trail, Rm 114
• North Port elections office, 13640 Tamiami Trail
• North Sarasota Library, 2801 Newtown Blvd.
• Fruitville Library, 100 Apex Rd., Sarasota
• Colonial Oaks Park, 5300 Colonial Oaks Blvd., Sarasota
• Gulf Gate Library, 7112 Curtiss Ave., Sarasota
• Osprey Library, 337 N Tamiami Trail, Osprey
• Venice Library, 300 Nokomis Ave South
• Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port

Photo by Jim DeLa

Hurricane damage prompts precinct location changes

Elections Supervisor Ron Turner recently announced that eight polling places will be moved on Nov. 5 because of infrastructure damage from recent hurricanes. Most involve precincts on Siesta Key and the City of Sarasota.

The full list:

• Precinct 203 (Municipal Auditorium). Temporarily moved to Bayfront Community Center, 803 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
• Precincts 211 and 213 (St. Armands Key Lutheran Church). Temporarily moved to Bayfront Community Center, 803 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
• Precinct 335 (Harbor Cove). Temporarily moved to North Recreational Center (within Harbor Cove), 219 Marlette Dr., North Port
• Precincts 411 and 421 (St. Boniface Episcopal Church). Temporarily moved to Siesta Key Chapel, 4615 Gleason Ave., Sarasota
• Precinct 427 and 503 (Nokomis Beach Plaza). Temporarily moved to Our Savior Lutheran Church, 2705 N Tamiami Trail, Nokomis

Additional polling locations may relocate upon further assessment, the supervisor's office said.