ORLANDO, Fla. – Nearly 1,000 people called in Tuesday when News 6 once again partnered with the Orange County supervisor of elections for a voter registration phone bank.
The phone bank, which was held on National Voter Registration Day, started at 6 a.m. and ran through 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 20.
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A total of 980 callers across Central Florida were able to ask election workers to verify their voter status, help them register to vote, update their voter registration records, and answer any election-related questions at the 407-836-VOTE number.
Of the calls placed, 224 were requests related to vote-by-mail ballots, 89 were inquiries about being a poll worker, 21 were requests for registration forms, and 30 were placed through the Spanish language line, according to Danaë Rivera-Marasco, the communications and community outreach coordinator at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections.
Bill Cowles, Orange County supervisor of elections, said his office expects a higher turnout in November because of the U.S. Senate race, governor’s race and the state senators and representatives races.
“Our goal is to make sure everybody has an opportunity to be registered, but also to make sure everybody has an opportunity to update their registration so they’re in good standings as we go into the Nov. 8 general election,” he said.
News 6 and Orange County held a similar phone bank in July before the August primary, which fielded some 1,800 calls.
National Voter Registration Day was started in 2012 to get more people registered to vote. According to the U.S. Census, as many as 1-in-4 Americans eligible to vote are not registered. The day is meant to be a big push to get more people registered before voter registration deadlines in many states.
Florida deadline to register to vote for the November election is Oct. 11.
For those with internet access, voter registration can be done online at registertovoteflorida.gov.