As lines form statewide, Leon elections chief says 'nothing but smiles' as early voting begins

Election fever has struck Florida with Monday's early voting kickoff.

Even before sunrise, voters in Tallahassee and elsewhere around the state lined up outside early voting polling places before they opened.

When Leon County Supervisor of Elections Mark Earley drove past the county courthouse at 6 a.m., a queue of more than 60 already had formed at that early-voting location, which wasn't scheduled to open till two hours later.

In Tallahassee, Monday morning was sunny and pleasant when Ana Nix-Floyd arrived at the Leon Courthouse to vote. 

"I gotta get my voice heard," said Nix-Floyd, who was in line at 7:30 a.m. "We need change. This time, we really need change."

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

“People need to realize their voice, their vote, really does matter. And if you don’t vote, then you are not voicing your opinion,” Nix-Floyd said. 

Earley said after about an hour, all the early arrivals had cast ballots without any incident or malfunction at the courthouse. By 10 o'clock, the other nine early voting sites in Leon County also opened without a hitch. 

“I’m seeing nothing but smiles from voters,” said Earley, when asked for a status report at mid-morning. The early voting sites will be open daily until Nov. 1, the Sunday before Election Day.

Elections staff initiated social distancing requirements inside the polling places to reduce the opportunity for a coronavirus infection to occur. Hand sanitizers are available at the entrance and exits. Masks are provided for those who would like one, but they are not required to vote. 

“Here’s a pro-tip for the voters, if they would like one: Bring your sample ballot with your choices marked so you can vote very quickly,” Earley said. “That will help people get in and out and not hold up other voters.” 

"The line was moving quite quickly," said Husam Simaan, among the early voters at the Courthouse. 

"That's another win for the process," added Simaan, who said he believed it was very important to vote and to do it as early as possible. 

At the Northeast Branch Library on Thomasville Road, however, a long line at one point in the late morning snaked out onto the sidewalk along the busy roadway. One voter said she had to wait in line for 2 hours to vote at the Eastside Branch Library on Pedrick Road.

Miles away in Wakulla County, where Democratic turnout was outpacing GOP voters as of Monday, a small number lined up outside the county Supervisor of Elections office on Crawfordville Highway. 

“I’ve been a Republican and I’ve been a Democrat," resident Richard Bushman said. "It’s an important election because it determines the direction of the country ... (And) I wanted to vote in person instead of by mail because ... when you hear about mail (ballots) ending up in ditches, I wanted to make sure it counted.”

William Wilkins, owner of BW’s Grill in Crawfordville, added, “This election is important because the person we got right now in the White House is crazy.”

Countered 74-year-old Bob Donaway, who's said he's voted in every election since he was eligible to vote, “The election is important because it will determine if the country stays free or becomes socialist.”

Nearly 2 million Floridians had already voted by mail as of Monday, according to the state's Division of Elections.  

Mail-in ballots and early voting numbers could be an indicator of increased enthusiasm this election among Democrats. Four years ago, Republicans edged Democrats in vote-by-mail while Democrats voted early in greater numbers. 

But this year, Republicans are telling pollsters they plan to vote in-person on Election Day, Nov. 3.  And so far, Democrats have returned nearly 300,000 more mail-in ballots than Republicans have. 

As far as the race for president goes, Florida has emerged as critical front in GOP President Donald Trump’s reelection strategy. He has increasingly focused on the Sunshine State, where he campaigned this past weekend, along with North Carolina and Arizona, where he held events Monday. 

Meantime, Democrat Joe Biden's campaign has placed more focus on the Sunshine State, which Trump carried by less than 2% of the vote four years ago. 

On Monday, his running mate, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California, was campaigning in Florida. Surrogates, including state Rep. Ramon Alexander of Tallahassee and Tallahassee City Commissioner-elect Jacqueline "Jack" Porter, were set to hold a Democratic get-out the vote event in Tallahassee later in the day.

On Monday evening, the Team Trump bus tour was scheduled to arrive in Tallahassee to get out the Black vote for the President’s reelection. 

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Alicia Devine and Ken Lanese contributed reporting. James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com. Follow on him Twitter: @CallTallahassee

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