ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 The two-week period of early voting is underway across Central Florida, and according to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office, more than 13,600 people cast their ballots Monday.<\/p>\n
That is almost double the 7,592 voters who cast ballots on the first day of early voting in November 2022, the last midterm election.<\/p>\n
Sara Van Arsdel, who voted early Tuesday in Winter Park, said she has voted in every election she can remember.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a right and a privilege, and it\u2019s very important,\u201d Van Arsdel said.<\/p>\n
This year, Van Arsdel voted early so nothing could get in her way later.<\/p>\n
\u201cI absolutely think this is a very, very important election, and I felt that I wanted to make sure my voice is in there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She is not alone.<\/p>\n
Orange County Supervisor of Elections Karen Castor Dentel said voters are energized.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a sense that people are wanting to get out there and express themselves, and I think we\u2019re feeling that as well here in Orlando and Orange County,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Castor Dentel’s team is also tracking vote-by-mail ballots, with some people dropping them off in person.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had about 2,600 people who stopped at the early voting sites and handed them off or put them in the box,” Castor Dentel said.<\/p>\n
Seminole and Volusia counties also are seeing strong turnout, though not as significant an increase as in Orange County, according to election data. In Seminole County, 5,913 people cast ballots Monday, compared to 3,831 on the first day of early voting four years ago. In Volusia County, 5,679 voted Monday, compared to 4,832 in Day 1 voting four years ago.<\/p>\n
Aubrey Jewett, an associate professor of politics at UCF and a political analyst in Central Florida for 30 years, said he will watch two trends over the next two weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are turnout rates both showing up in person and voting early or continuing to send mail ballots back in, and then, two, looking at the partisan difference in those things,\u201d Jewett said.<\/p>\n
Van Arsdel urged others to follow her lead and get their votes in early.<\/p>\n
\u201cI try to get it done as soon as I can, always,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n