Stakes are high:
Voters turn out in unusually high numbers for a midterm election where the president’s name was not on the ballot, but it was on many minds.
The stakes were high, and voters in South Florida knew it, turning out in unusually high numbers for a midterm election where the president’s name was not on the ballot, but it was on many minds.
About 54 percent of Broward County’s registered voters cast ballots in the general election, 61 percent in Palm Beach County and 55 percent in MiamiDade.
Those numbers were significantly higher than the last mid-term election in 2014, when 46 percent of registered voters cast ballots in Broward, 49 percent in Palm Beach County and 41 percent in Miami-Dade.
Still, South Florida — the heart of Florida’s Democratic hopes — lagged many counties in the state, raising the possibility that higher turnout here could have turned the election another direction. Turnout statewide totaled 61 percent.
In Boca Raton, Nancy Hultman, 76, a semi-retired nurse and a Republican, voted the straight party ticket at the Center for Spiritual Living polling site. “We need to begin to think about America First,” Hultman said. “There are certain changes that need to be made in our country in order to protect it.”
At the same location, Matt Wallach, 40, a Democrat who works in real estate development, talked about “getting these people out of office and getting the Democrats back to at least where we have some say. … I can’t stand anymore what’s going on. It’s disgusting.”
Election officials said turnout outpaced previous mid-term elections, including the 50 percent turnout statewide in 2014.
“There are tons of people who are voting,” said Broward Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes. “It looks like something I’ve not seen during a midterm.”
It was the same in Palm Beach, said Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. “We haven’t seen it like this in a while.”
More voters tend to cast ballots when the presidency is on the line – in midterms, the make-up of Congress is at stake, along with the president’s ability to enact his agenda.
Democrats had hoped large turnouts in Palm Beach, Broward, MiamiDade and Orange counties, where they hold a registration advantage, that could offset Republican dominance along the southwest coast and throughout rural Florida.
In Palm Beach County, Democrats hold a registration advantage over Republicans of 42 percent to 28 percent, with the rest registered in other parties or in no party. In Broward County, the Democrats hold a more than 2-1 advantage over Republicans. That means high turnout there would tend to favor Democrats.
But voter turnout has been reported to be high around the state, including heavily Republican counties. That edge appeared to favor the GOP.
Bucher said there appeared to be few problems coping with the high Palm Beach County turnout, although she had a roving team of technicians taking care of mechanical glitches.
“Things are running pretty smoothly, and we like heavy turnout,” Bucher said. “That’s why we open our doors.”
Although historic numbers voted early, others preferred to wait until Election Day.
“I just like tradition,” said Sharon Defronzo, 59, who got in line to vote a half hour early Tuesday at Plantation Park Elementary before heading to work at an aircraft manufacturer. “I like to be here with my neighbors. I like the whole feeling. To me, it’s patriotic.”
About 5.1 million Floridian cast ballots before Tuesday, either by mail or at early-voting sites, the highest ever in a midterm election.
But others preferred the traditional approach.
“I didn’t trust the mailing system,” said Roger Casado, 44, after voting at Plantation Park Elementary. “I wanted to come in and vote personally.”
Glitches were few, especially for such a busy day.
Some voters were surprised to learn that the Galt Ocean Mile Reading Center in Fort Lauderdale was no longer a polling place.
“No voting here?” 80-year-old Wolfgang Kehr asked when he walked in.
Voters had been notified by letter that voting was temporarily moved due to renovations.
Jessica Pratt, 31, a paralegal who lives in Pompano Beach, said she was frustrated when she went to a polling site near her home only to be told her registration has her living in Lauderhill.
“I’ve never lived in Lauderhill in my life!” she said. She drove to Lauderhill so she could cast ballots in the races for U.S. Senate and Florida governor.
Pleasant weather conditions seemed to help with turnout for a day where several controversial state and local issues shared the ballot with candidates whose fates will help determine which party runs the House and Senate.