Citrus: Glitches are rare as voters fill polls

Turnout is fairly heavy, but precinct workers say the lines moved quickly. Voters say they hope Florida will no longer be the subject of jokes.

By BARBARA BEHRENDT, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published November 6, 2002

INVERNESS -- The general election seemed to proceed smoothly in Citrus County, with few reports of lines at polling places or major problems with the lengthy ballot.

Poll workers reported a constant flow of voters. Other than the expected minor difficulties, such as people who mismarked ballots and had the vote-tallying machines kick them back out, there were few problems reported.

By 11 a.m. Tuesday, 408 voters had cast ballots in Precinct 402, whose voters vote at the Disabled American Veterans building at Independence Highway and U.S. 41 N outside Inverness.

"We've had quite a turnout so far for this precinct," said elections clerk Marjorie Allion, who wore American flag earrings.

The polling place featured 13 voting stations, two of which were specially designated for voters who have physical disabilities. Most of the voting stations were in use during the busy morning, Allion said.

But there were "no long lines of any kind," she said.

Walt and Shirley Johnston said they had no trouble voting, despite the relatively lengthy ballot that included 10 proposed amendments to the state's Constitution.

"We were prepared for it," said Walt Johnston, 67.

The trash can at the exit of Precinct 307, whose polling place was St. Thomas Catholic Church in Homosassa, was a silent testimony to how voters had prepared. Not even two hours after the polls opened, the can was already heaped with sheets of paper, sample ballots and the small scraps of paper which peel off the "I Voted" stickers poll workers were handing out.

Supervisor of Elections Susan Gill said at midday that there were few lines except when the polls first opened. "I'm hearing they're very busy. And here we thought that everyone voted early but that's apparently not true," she said.

Still, early voting meant, "We've taken 12,000 people out of the mix."

Gill's office collected more than 10,000 absentee ballots, which includes people who mailed ballots and other voters who voted at the elections offices in Inverness and Crystal River.

On Monday alone, 511 voters visited the Inverness elections office and 238 went to the Crystal River office to cast early ballots.

Before Election Day, Gill worried about voters showing up at the wrong polling places, since many had changed after recent redistricting. But she said she had few reports of such confusion and that no one was irate if they did have to go to another place to vote.

In the precincts Gill visited, she was pleased to see so many people had brought their sample ballots.

"It's like I've stressed to my poll workers," Gill said. "To have a successful election in the county it takes all of us, the supervisor, the poll workers, the poll sitters and the voters."

The Citrus County Auditorium saw a busy flow of voters, but residents had little or no wait for a booth. Even with the slew of Constitutional amendments to consider, voters like Joe and Anne Chinchar whizzed through because they read everything ahead of time.

"I studied it at home before I went out," Joe Chinchar said as he left the auditorium. "We went right in and out the door. The efficiency is scary."

With Election Day off to a smooth start in Citrus County, some voters hope Florida can redeem itself and show the world it knows how to vote.

"I sure hope so," Floral City resident Harvey Logan said. "I'm tired of the jokes."

At City Hall in Crystal River, opposing political factions held down opposite sides of the parking lot, waving campaign signs at passing cars. Two City Council seats and the job of mayor were up for grabs in the city elections.

Down U.S. 19, at the National Guard Armory, several people expressed strong feelings about a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban smoking in workplaces.

"I agree with it, but I don't want them taking my rights away," said Marie A. Conrad, 78, who smoked for 40 years before quitting a decade ago. "They keep chipping away, telling me I can't do this or that."

Poll worker James Oldham said there was a slight line at the armory Tuesday morning, but it thinned out quickly. He predicted that turnout would exceed the 2000 election.

Oldham was seated near a pay phone and as he spoke, a man came over to retrieve a pair of scissors and a small knife from the top of the phone. The man was told he could not enter the building with the items.

"I think it's good they are checking people, but you can take anything too far," said 39-year-old John Farabaugh, who uses the tools for his job at Florida Power.

Earl Green, a poll worker stationed outside the Italian Social Club in Hernando, said there had been a steady stream of people into the building since 7:30 a.m. In fact, he thought turnout may be higher this year than a typical presidential contest.

Green, a Beverly Hills resident, credited the recent election gaffes in Florida with increasing the number of voters.

"I think a lot of people came out because they just wanted to see what was happening," he said. "But they got fooled -- everything's quiet. We haven't had any problems."

Pete Radichio, 87, who was stumping for state Senate candidate Nancy Argenziano outside the Ted Williams Museum, had a different theory.

"I think people are angry about all the dirty campaigning they've seen this season," he said. "And if people are angry, they are going to do what they have to do."

Radichio said he was especially upset by the last-minute mailings sent out by County Commissioner Jim Fowler regarding challenger Scott Adams' criminal history.

"That's low class," Radichio said. "I don't go in for that type of nonsense."

After reading news reports about lines of people voting by absentee ballot Monday at the Supervisor of Elections Office, voters like Harvey Dunn were pleased to see no wait at their precincts Tuesday.

"I stepped right in and within seconds I had a voting booth," the Floral City resident said.

There was at least one wannabe voter who left Floral City's precinct 408 without an "I Voted" sticker, however. Katie Ireland, a charming Cavalier King Charles dog with a silky red coat, trotted into the Floral City Lions Club with her owners, David and Joan Talarico, but left empty-pawed.

Alas, the spunky spaniel lacked a photo ID or a voter registration card.

"She went in with us, but they wouldn't let her fill out a ballot," Mrs. Talarico said, grinning.

- Staff writers Bridget Hall Grumet, Alex Leary, Carrie Johnson and Jim Ross contributed to this report.