Hernando voters: Election smooth and easy

The supervisor of elections agrees, deeming the day trouble-free except for a few ''typical'' problems.

By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published November 6, 2002

Voter turnout in Hernando County was nearing 30 percent by midday Tuesday, with 11,000 other voters casting ballots early.

"I'm hearing the voter turnout is large, which is what we've been wanting," Supervisor of Elections Annie Williams said, predicting 60 percent of the county's 100,544 voters would cast ballots by 7 p.m.

Turnout in 1998, the last nonpresidential election, was 52 percent.

The election went off cleanly, Williams said, with some "typical" problems such as voters not knowing they could ask for a new ballot if they made mistakes. But, for the most part, she said, the day was trouble-free.

Voters noticed.

"It went very smoothly," said Nancy Gordon, 61, who moved to Ridge Manor about two years ago. She came out to support an antiabortion slate of candidates.

"It was very, very easy to vote," said Shanetra McCollum, 29, of Brooksville, who came to vote for City Council candidate Frankie Burnett and for Amendment 6 banning smoking in restaurants. "It looks like Annie Williams is doing a great job."

Voters came to the polls for a variety of reasons. Some wanted to see specific philosophies pursued by government; others hoped to have certain candidates in office. State and national races held greater attraction for voters than local candidates and issues.

Ridge Manor resident Vern Russell, 74, said he was most interested in seeing U.S. Rep. Karen Thurman, D-Dunnellon, re-elected. He supported the Democratic position on senior citizen issues.

"It's because of my age and the possibilities of problems with Social Security, which we live on," Russell said.

Amy Freemire, 31, of Brooksville said she voted for candidates who shared her staunch Republican perspective. She also was passionate about the smoking ban amendment.

"I hate going into a restaurant and sitting in what I thought was a nonsmoking section and having things float down my way," she said.

Herbert Scott, 53, of Brooksville said it was time to put some black people into positions of authority. He praised Burnett and state House candidate Greg Williams.

"We need somebody up in Tallahassee to speak up," Scott said. "I know (Williams) is one of those kind of guys who is going to say what is on his mind."

Janet Pace, 40, of Brooksville said she wanted to vote against the amendment that would require schools to offer prekindergarten programs for 4-year-olds.

"I think it's ridiculous," Pace said. "Why don't the girls just have the babies at the school and leave them there to be raised?"

Beryl Valkema of Wesleyan Village said she came to vote for Gov. Jeb Bush . "I just feel we should give Jeb a continuous piece of time to accomplish what he's wanting to do."

For Lisa Shannon, 32, of Spring Hill no issue or race really drew her to the polls. But exposing her two children, Sydney 4, and Willie, 16 months, to voting was significant.

"I'm trying to teach my little people it's important," Shannon said.

Voters from all persuasions expressed disgust with the recent avalanche of negative campaign ads.

"It gets you to the point where you don't know who to vote for," said Fran Stone, 70, of Spring Hill. "You get your mind set and then you hear something else (negative) about them."

Some voters said the ads backfired on the candidates who paid for them.

"When they slander another person, I will not vote for them," said Marianne Rizzuto, 55, of Spring Hill.

"If I'm on the fence, it really turns me off," said Joan Hastings, 76, of Timber Pines.

Elizabeth Olejnik, 48, of Spring Hill was particularly bothered by state Sen. Ginny Brown-Waite's attack ads against incumbent congresswoman Thurman. She called them "despicable" and said the ads turned her and several of her co-workers against Brown-Waite.

Pat Goman of High Point acknowledged that, despite trying to ignore the ads, they eventually do have an effect. She voted against Brown-Waite, she said, partly because of the advertising against her.

Nicole Wallace, 20, of Brooksville did the same. "It made me question certain morals and values," she said.

Voters who were interviewed seemed to agree about one other matter: The proposed constitutional amendments should be simplified. Most voters said they were certain about their votes, but only because they had researched the issues beforehand.

Several carried marked sample ballots to help remember their decisions.

Shirley Pecoraro, the clerk at Precinct 18, said she had been barraged by questions about the amendments.

"We need to pass an amendment making people explain the amendments," she said.

Toby Leger of Spring Hill said the amendments were poorly presented.

"Very confusing," she said. "It's lawyer talk. When you have 11 different amendments, your head starts to spin a little."

-- Staff writers Dan DeWitt, Robert King and Will Van Sant contributed to this report.