Across Central Florida, voting is well underway. As of noon Wednesday, roughly 10% of registered, active voters have already cast their ballots, either through mail balloting or at the early voting sites that opened Monday across the region. And so far, things seem to be operating smoothly — something local residents have grown to expect, given the high caliber of local elections officials and the careful oversight of political parties. Of course, there are silly rumors circulating on social media: This year, there are bogus reports of elections workers somehow secretly marking ballots — which is flatly untrue and all but impossible, given the security measures that are in place in every county elections office. There’s also a level of anxiety about potential confrontations at the polls, but so far, local elections officials say things are calm.
Even so, we’re urging local residents to consider their voting options carefully — particularly if they are worried that their ballot might be challenged. By state policy, requests for mail ballots must be received by local elections offices by 5 p.m. Thursday (Oct. 22), and all ballots must be returned by the time polls close on Nov. 3. However, there are still options for those who worry they might not be able to make it to an early voting site or to their precinct on Election Day: The best option is to contact your local supervisor’s office and ask for help.
Voting early, either by mail or at an early-voting site, gives voters a buffer; if they need to update their identification or submit documentation, they have time. (If you’ve previously voted by mail but have not yet received a ballot, it’s likely your request needs to be renewed.) Of course, there is always the option of in-person voting for those who want to wait until Election Day, Nov. 3 — though it’s usually a good idea to check to be sure your precinct number or voting location hasn’t changed.
And of course, there’s the most daunting task of all: Deciding who to vote for. Today, we’re reprinting the list of the Orlando Sentinel’s election endorsements, but there’s plenty of time to do your own research as well.
U.S. Congress
District 7: Bale Dalton
District 8: Mike Haridopolos
District 9: Darren Soto
District 11: James Pericola
Florida Cabinet
Attorney General: Jose Javier Rodriguez
Chief Financial Officer: Annette Taddeo
Commissioner of Agriculture: Joey Mendoza Atkins
Florida Amendments
Amendment 1: No
Amendment 2: No
Amendment 3: No
Courts
Retain Supreme Court Justice Carlos G. Muñiz: No
Retain District Court of Appeal Justice John M. Harris: Yes
Retain District Court of Appeal Justice Scott D. Makar: Yes
Retain District Court of Appeal Justice F. Rand Wallis: Yes
9th Circuit Judge Group 1: Temika Hampton-Johnson
Seminole County Court Judge Group 6: Alena Chaban
Florida Senate
District 10: John Lowndes
Florida House
District 25: Farmer Banks Helfrich
District 26: Robyn Elaine Lawrence
District 35: Eric Gray
District 36: Darryl Block
District 37: Jane Aman
District 38: Nik Dean
District 39: Jarod Fox
District 40: RaShon Young
District 42: Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet
District 43: Samuel Vilchez Santiago
District 45: Leonard Spencer
District 46: Jose Alvarez
Lake County
Lake County School referendum: Yes
Lake County Commission District 4: Leslie Campione
Orange County
Orange County Mayor: Tiffany Moore Russell
Orange County Commission District 2: Kamia Brown
Orange County Commission District 4: Johanna López
Orange County Commission District 6: Michael Scott
Orange County Commission District 7: Patricia Rumph
Orange County Commission District 8: Victor Torres
Orange County School Board District 3: Susanne Peña
Orange County Clerk of Court: Roberta Walton Johnson
Osceola County
Osceola County School referendum: Yes
Osceola County Commission District 2: Viviana Janer
Osceola County Commission District 4: Mary Downey
Seminole County
Seminole County Commission District 4: Amy Lockhart
The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Executive Editor Roger Simmons and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. Use insight@orlandosentinel.com to contact us.