BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
Election Day is less than two days away, and preparations are underway at the Union County Supervisor of Elections Office to make voting as easy for county residents as possible.
The books have already closed for new and changes to party affiliation, but signature cards may be updated at any time before election day. Poll workers have received their state-mandated training, and all of the voting machines have been certified to be accurate and in good working order. The election preparations are “business as usual,” with no changes to the procedures and training since the last general election. Vote-by-mail ballots are still coming in, with 317 already received as of last Monday.
Early Voting begins Sat. Oct. 26, 2024, and will be available every day through Nov. 2, 2024. Early Voting is held at the Supervisor of Elections Office at 175 W. Main St, in Lake Butler. Hours will be Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Sunday. The machines will tabulate ballots as they are turned in, but no figures will be totaled until election day. Vote-by-mail ballots are stored in a secure location and will be opened by the canvassing board. This board will be composed of the Honorable Judge Mitchell Bishop, Union County Supervisor of Elections Debbie Osborne and Union County Commission Chair Channing Dobbs. It will meet on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, at 4 p.m. and again on Tuesday, Nov.5.
On Election Day, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. County residents are reminded that they must vote at the precinct in which they live. Precincts 1A, 1B, 5A and 5C will vote at the Lake Butler Community Center. Precincts 2A and 2B will vote at the Raiford Community Center. Precincts 3A and 3B will vote at the Worthington Springs Community Center, Precincts 3C, 4A and 4C will vote at the SREC building on 6th Ave in Lake Butler, Precinct 4B will vote at the Providence Community Center, and Precinct 5B will vote at the Providence Fire Station. Express Vote machines will be available at all polling places for the benefit of handicapped voters, and, as always, poll workers will be happy to assist voters as well.
The ballots will be tallied from the machine totals at the elections office and posted on the office’s website as soon as this is done. That website is www.unionflvotes.com. Questions may be asked by calling the Supervisor of Elections Office at (386) 496-2236.
Voters will be marking a large ballot this year despite the fact that all of the local races were decided in the Primary Election on Aug. 20, 2024. The ballot includes seven presidential candidates, five candidates for the U.S. Senate, two candidates for Representative in Congress, two candidates for State Attorney of the Eighth Judicial Circuit, and two candidates for the District 10 State Representative. Also, voters will be asked to decide on the retention of five judges (individually) and six amendments to the state constitution.
A large turnout is expected, and voting may take a little longer than usual due to many voters reading the amendments before they make their decision. All voters need to remember to bring a photo ID with them to the polling place, as well as their voter registration card. All are encouraged to come as early as they can to help avoid a backup later in the day.
