Early turnout is strong, even with the Democratic presidential nomination a foregone conclusion.
By BRIDGET HALL GRUMET
Published March 6, 2004
NEW PORT RICHEY - Carol Carney walked out of the West Pasco Government Center on Friday morning with an "I Voted!" sticker and a shorter to-do list for Tuesday.
"I was assuming a lot of people would come that day, and I didn't want to be rushed," said Carney, who voted early at the Supervisor of Elections Office.
She's in good company. As of Friday afternoon, 2,123 Pasco residents had voted early and another 7,025 sent in absentee ballots for the presidential primary on Tuesday.
That's a record number of absentee ballots in a Pasco presidential primary, considering voters sent in just 1,640 in 2000 and 1,375 in 1992. The reason for the sharp increase is obvious.
"In three words, Penny for Pasco," said Supervisor of Elections Kurt Browning.
The proposed 1-cent-on-the-dollar sales tax increase is on the ballot for voters of all parties, so the early turnout is strong, even with the Democratic presidential nomination a foregone conclusion.
The absentee ballot figures from Browning's office included 3,777 from Democrats, 2,401 from Republicans and 847 from third party voters. The early votes came from 943 Democrats, 912 Republicans and 298 independent voters.
Under state law, people can vote by absentee ballot for any reason, or they can vote early at the elections office within 10 days before an election. People still can vote early today and Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the elections offices in New Port Richey, Land O'Lakes and Dade City.
In their presentations to civic groups and their mailings to thousands of residents, members of the pro-sales tax Pasco's Citizen Committee urged voters to cast their ballots early.
"Voter turnout can be affected by a great number of issues, not least of which is the business of people's lives today," said Allen Altman, co-chairman of the committee.
If approved by voters, the Penny for Pasco would raise about $437-million over 10 years, with some of the money paying for a property tax rate cut from the School Board. The schools and county government would then each get 45 percent, and the cities would split the rest.
