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Wanted: all eligible voters
By JIM ROSS © St. Petersburg Times, published November 5, 2000 Tuesday is Election Day. How will Citrus County respond? Voter turnout was ho-hum (27.68 percent) in the September primary. And participation in the October runoff (17.25 percent) was downright lousy. But Tuesday is the Big Day, when every office from president to tax collector is at stake. It's winner take all. Records show that voter turnout is always greatest in presidential elections. Many people want to cast a vote for their favored presidential candidate, regardless of their feelings for local and regional offices. Of course, those local and regional offices -- especially this year's three-man school superintendent battle -- often inspire quite a turnout of their own. This year doesn't figure to be any different. In fact, local races aside, the voting desire might even be more keen this time around. Polls show Al Gore and George W. Bush are in a nip-and-tuck race to win Florida's 25 electoral votes. Political parties, radio hosts, preachers and teachers are hammering home the point that every vote counts, particularly in the Sunshine State. Both campaigns are spending millions of dollars on TV advertising in Florida, more than they are spending in any other state at this late date. Locally, Supervisor of Elections Susan Gill has been spreading the word at candidate forums, civic clubs and classrooms and anywhere else she can find eligible voters. Those calls are being heard, and heeded, even now. For evidence, just check Gill's office. She has issued 9,642 absentee ballots and received 5,000 back. That doesn't include voters who stopped by her offices in Inverness or Crystal River to vote early. Overall, Citrus has 81,378 voters eligible to participate in this election. Democrats still hold a slim lead, with 33,715 registered voters, compared with 33,144 Republicans and 14,519 others. Based on the absentee ballot statistics and past history, Gill said she expects 65 percent to 70 percent of the voters will participate in this election. Those who haven't voted already, either by absentee ballot or at the elections office, may vote at their polling place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday. Voters should bring a photo ID, but can vote even if they forget to do so. Citrus County's political leaders are trying to make certain that everyone participates. "We've been handing out pamphlets and going door to door, and we've been using the phone bank and putting signs up," said Mara Lynn Kontrafouris, president of the Southwest Citrus Democratic Club, which has 25 members. Like other local people who are interested in politics, Kontrafouris said she hoped snowbirds registered to vote here are back in time to cast a ballot or that they remembered to request an absentee ballot. The Citrus County Republican Executive Committee has placed 20,000 phone calls to registered Republicans and independents who have voted in recent elections. Precinct leaders have knocked on doors and otherwise reminded people in their neighborhoods to vote. "It's organization and grass roots," said Weston Stow, committee chairman. Stow also leads the chairman's caucus of the state party. "This is a time for people to take civic duty and responsibility of voting very, very seriously," Stow said. "This is an extremely important election, and if they don't vote, they have no right to complain." Which voters are most likely to respond to these pleas from the political parties and Gill? Immediate history suggests that people age 52 to 78 fit the bill. In the 1998 general election, 74 percent of registered voters age 57 to 72 participated, while 72 percent of voters age 73 to 88 cast a ballot, records showed. According to those same records, only 14 percent of the voters ages 18 to 24 participated in that 1998 election, while 33 percent of the voters in the 25-40 age range voted and 54 percent of the voters age 41 to 56 participated. Age aside, one way to predict overall voter turnout is to consider what has happened in the past three presidential election years. 1996: Bill Clinton defeated Bob Dole. In Citrus County, almost 70 percent of the registered voters participated in November. Citrus went for Clinton, giving him 44 percent of the vote. Dole received 40 percent and Ross Perot got 14 percent. That year, 33 percent of Citrus voters participated in the September primary. 1992: Clinton defeated George Bush and Perot. In Citrus, almost 83 percent of registered voters participated in November. Bush won 36.6 percent of the vote, with 35.6 percent going to Clinton and 27 percent to Perot. That year, 42 percent of eligible voters participated in the September primary. 1988: Bush defeated Michael Dukakis. In Citrus, 77 percent of the eligible voters participated. Citrus gave Bush 63 percent of its vote and 36 percent to Michael Dukakis. That year, 36 percent of eligible voters participated in the September primary. Of course, no matter their age or political affiliation, some people simply don't think their vote will mean much in the grander scheme of things. And with more than 80,000 voters eligible to cast a ballot, that theory is easy to understand. But consider some recent history. In 1996, Michael Blackstone defeated veteran Circuit Judge John Thurman by only 85 votes, 47,141 to 47,056. That race was contested throughout the 5th Judicial Circuit, which includes Citrus, Hernando, Marion, Lake and Sumter counties. The race was so close that a recount was necessary. Citrus County's biggest precincts are South Inverness (5,796 voters) and Sugarmill Woods (5,148 voters). Look for local candidates and their supporters to spend time outside those polling places, trying to get one last word in before voters head into the polls.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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