ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Early voting is in full swing across Central Florida and election leaders say they’re seeing record numbers in several counties when it comes to voter turnout. So much so, that election officials in Orange County have expanded some check-in sites to better accommodate voters.
“Three times now I’ve come by, and it was a little too busy to make time before work. So today I got here early and made it in,” said Charlie Lyons, an Orange County registered voter. “I really wanted to do it right away, to get it out of the way and also because you don’t have to fight crowds.”
[COUNTY-BY-COUNTY: Here are early voting numbers for Central Florida]
Due to the influx in crowds, Orange County’s Supervisor of Elections Glen Gilzean says four new “express” locations were added to better serve voters.
“We had the opportunity to speak with people who were waiting in line and one of things they said is, ‘How can we expand more access to ensure that we can cut on the low lines?’ So we did two things: we implemented new express sites across the county and we launched an interactive map that allows to see how long the wait times are,” Gilzean said.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
Chuck Dickens, another Orange County voter, said he’s been a dedicated voter for years now.
“I’ve been voting since I was 18,” Dickens said. “I’m 58 now, never missed an election. I think it’s important to vote nationally, and especially locally because local grows to national and if you can’t control what’s in your own community, then you can’t control what’s on the national stage either.”
[RELATED: How to find an early voting site in Central Florida for the November election]
Early voting will continue throughout the weekend, until Sunday, Nov. 3. Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
For any information on polling sites, and to gain access for Orange County’s interactive map, you can check out the elections supervisor’s website.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: