Big surge seen in Dems’ absentee-ballot requests

Absentee ballots in Central Florida have exploded in popularity this year especially among Democrats, who are turning to the vote-at-home method in such great numbers that they now might outnumber Republicans voting by mail.

All parties and independent voters are increasing their use of absentee ballots. This year, for the first time in dec- ades, more Democrats requested absentee ballots than Republicans in Central Florida, election officials say.

In Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Lake counties, elections officials have mailed 40 percent more absentee ballots for the Nov. 4 election than they did in 2010, the last midterm election. More than 136,000 Democrats have received absentee ballots, and about 117,000 Republicans. Another 66,000 have gone to independent voters.

The push also has come from state and county elections officials, who see it as being the least-expensive way to record votes and the surest method for voters who worry about lines and unexpected Election Day time demands.

“You know, life happens,” said Osceola County Elections Supervisor Mary Jane Arrington.

Yet no one knows how many people who received absentee ballots this month actually will fill them out and mail them back. Early returns through this week show the Democrats have gained ground on Republicans in all four counties since 2010.

Democrats say they expect more of their supporters to vote. And Democrats outnumber Republicans in Central Florida and statewide.

“Thirty-two percent of the returned absentee ballots have come from Democrats

that did not vote in 2010,” said Orange County Democratic Chairman Carlos Smith.

But Republicans say the Democrats’ new push toward absentee balloting might only be switching their voters from Election Day or from early voting. So the final count of Democrats voting might wind up about the same, they contend.

“It just cannibalizes their votes,” said Orange County Republican Chairman Lew Oliver.

This year, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Lake elections officials mailed out more than 320,000 absentee ballots. In 2010, they mailed out 226,000.

Republicans saw a 62 percent growth in absentee-ballot requests. For Democrats, the increase was 176 percent. That huge jump tipped the balance in Orange and Osceola counties to the Democrats and cut into Republican advantages in Lake and Seminole.

The most dramatic change was in Osceola County. In 2010, almost half of absentee ballots went to Republicans, and just over a third went to Democrats, with the rest go- ing to independent voters. This year Democrats got about half of all the absentee ballots, and Republicans got less than a third.

Both parties credit President Barack Obama’s 2012 push for absentee voting for the increase in Democratic ballots. That year, a voter could request an absentee ballot for two election cycles. So many people who sought absentee ballots for the 2012 election could get one this year, too.

Republicans say in 2012 they barely outvoted Democrats with absentee ballots, by just 3 percent statewide, but early returns are giving Republicans a 13 percent advantage this month.

In Central Florida, through Tuesday, the actual returned absentee votes are favoring Republicans by about 10 points.

But the huge splash of absentee ballot requests this year is creating unknown ripples. Will people who ordered absentee ballots in 2012 throw them away in 2014? How will early voting be affected? How will ElectionDay voting be affected?

“We just don’t know,” Oliver said. problem worse, because children who are victimized at school can’t escape being picked on by going home.

“Now we’ve got the Internet and social media … that’s a game-changer, with kids in their bedrooms reading Facebook posts and having no way to process that,” he said.

Sedwick’s mother said her daughter changed schools but still was taunted by former classmates who sent messages, including, “Go kill yourself ” via a mobile social media app.

Jolana Mitchell, a seventh-grader at Carver Middle School, has taken an anti-bullying course that teaches kids to intervene when they see bullying. “It makes you feel like you’re dying inside. People just need to stand up,” she said.