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Unusual bustle as early voting begins

It's only Day One, and voters speculate they need to hurry. On Nov. 2, they might break a leg, or something.

DADE CITY - Leaving absolutely nothing to chance, Dorothy Lekarczyk rearranged her morning schedule so she could vote first thing Monday, the first day of early voting in Florida.

"What if I break a leg or something happens on Nov. 2," the Dade City woman said. "This election is too important. I wanted to make sure."

Lekarczyk was one of the first Monday to cast a touch screen ballot in Pasco in a presidential election. She had plenty of company. Some 1,473 Pasco voters cast early votes Monday. That included 621 Democrats and 611 Republicans. It was one of the busiest days of pre-election voting in Pasco since early voting was first allowed in 2002.

"That's a lot of early voting," said Pasco Supervisor of Elections Kurt Browning. "I think we're going to get even busier."

The busiest early voting day ever in Pasco was the Monday before election day in 2002, when about 2,000 people showed up. Browning said he expects the last days of early voting to be more hectic than ever this year. He also expects an uptick after voters receive the sample ballots being mailed this week from the supervisor's office.

Pasco voters have three sites to choose from for early voting: the county government offices in New Port Richey, Dade City and Land O'Lakes. On Monday, all three saw a steady stream of voters.

It wasn't only voters who were interested in the ballots Monday.

In yet another sign of the high stakes and closeness of the presidential election, the Republican Party had a representative at each of the three voting locations, and the Democrats did spot checks throughout the day.

"We don't see the need to have someone there all the time," said Pasco's Tax Collector Mike Olson, the local chairman of the Kerry-Edwards campaign. "We've had people in and out during the day. Everything seems to be running fine."

Voters seemed to agree.

"I find this very convenient," said Jim Donaldson, a retired court clerk, who voted in New Port Richey. "It's at my leisure instead of when I have to do it."

In Land O'Lakes, Patty Wallin voted early just to make sure she didn't miss out.

"I missed out in the last (presidential election), and then all the controversy," Wallin said. "I'm here because this election is just too important to leave anything to chance on Election Day. I want my vote to count."

Ralph Torres looks at it this way: On any given day, a person can get sick, have appointments or other unexpected errands to run. What if that happens on Election Day?

"One-day voting is just not a good idea," said Torres, a retired law enforcement officer who cast his ballot in New Port Richey.

Early voting in Florida is proving so popular that candidates and voters might have to start rethinking strategies. Candidates with limited campaign budgets typically send mailouts or plan television ads in the last days of campaigns. With early voting, thousands of votes already will have been cast before those slick campaign mailouts or TV spots can have any effect.

Voters also might have to think a little differently. Moments after she voted Monday, Lekarczyk was handed an "I voted" sticker, which she dutifully affixed to her dress. Then she paused and asked for a second sticker. She wanted one to wear Nov. 2, Election Day, when the stickers will be proudly displayed on so many lapels.

Lekarczyk joked: "I just want to make sure I have all the right accessories."