SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – For about 30 minutes in pouring rain, people held their umbrellas and their spot in a line wrapped around the Seminole County Library in Casselberry for the first day of early voting.
“It didn’t matter, I was going to wait 5 hours, 2 hours, it didn’t matter,” said voter Jody Taylor, who waited about 20 minutes in line. “You have to vote, there is too much riding on it.”
Chris Anderson, the Supervisor of Elections in Seminole County, said the county has a historically has high voter turnout, with 78.5% of registered voters casting ballots in 2016. Based on record number mail-in ballots requested and day one of early voting lines today, he believes 2020′s turnout will be larger.
“This is a significant increase,” Anderson said. “We expect no less this time around. Everyone is tuned in, everyone is paying attention.”
In fact, he says he’s been taking calls nationally because so many people are paying attention to how Seminole County votes.
“People are curious on how Seminole County will play on the national election,” Anderson said.
According to News 6 political expert Jim Clark, Seminole County could play the biggest role.
“If the democrats take Seminole, they can take the White House,” Clark said. “I believe that Seminole for the whole nation is the bellwether county.”
Clark said historically Seminole County goes red and has done so since 1948, however that seems to be changing.
“Seminole has been trending more towards Democrats in the last 20 years,” he said.
Clark believes Seminole County and Pinellas County are the two swing counties in an already swing state, both along the important I-4 Corridor.
“If they carry Florida they get 29 electoral votes, and there is no scenario in which President Trump wins this election without Florida,” Clark said. “I think either candidate would come over and wash your car for you if you are a Seminole County voter.”