Sumter Early Voting: Safe and Efficient!

[Homer49]

We just voted at the Sumter County Annex Office on Powell Rd. Our total time to wait and vote was right at 30-minutes. The process was very well organized and all of the same safety procedures that were used in the Primary Election were in place and properly managed.

Thanks to all the volunteers and county employees who are making this work!

[Joe V.]

We just voted at the Sumter County Annex Office on Powell Rd. Our total time to wait and vote was right at 30-minutes. The process was very well organized and all of the same safety procedures that were used in the Primary Election were in place and properly managed.

Thanks to all the volunteers and county employees who are making this work!


Anyone have a report from Rohan?

[Homer49]

Anyone have a report from Rohan?

The line was a little longer there when we went by, so we went over to Powell Rd. In hindsight, the room at Rohan was much bigger and had many more stations when we voted there in the Primary, compared to Powell Rd., so the total wait/vote time might not have been much, if any, longer had we stayed there.

[Joe V.]

The line was a little longer there when we went by, so we went over to Powell Rd. In hindsight, the room at Rohan was much bigger and had many more stations when we voted there in the Primary, compared to Powell Rd., so the total wait/vote time might not have been much, if any, longer had we stayed there.

Thank you. Lines are a real burden for me now. I have been having serious back issues lately and dealing with it best I can. Standing more than 10 minutes is a real struggle. I will get through it somehow I guess.

[Mrprez]

We just got back from Rohan, took us about an hour from the time we got in line to when we left the building.

[44Apple]

That's all nice, but I used the US Postal re my ballot.

[JSR22]

We just went to Laurel Manor and it is an hour wait.

[Mrprez]

They were asking people in line if anyone had a ballot they wanted to drop off. Also, making sure you were a resident of Sumter County.

[patfla06]

Rohan had plenty of chairs to sit on.
I’ve been having hip pain and had to sit down.
My husband stayed in line while I sat in one of the living rooms and
Joined him right before voting.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Meanwhile, at Lake County:

The library had a line out the door, maybe 20-30 people, most of them in groups of 2 (couples) with a handful of single voters and a smattering of trios.

The volunteer who came outside to check on the line said it'd be around 1-2 hours from where I was standing until I walked out the door with my vote counted. I was in and out in less than an hour. The wait was primarily because they only have one elevator and wouldn't put more than 4 people maximum in it at a time going up. Coming down, they didn't have anyone watching it, so a fifth snuck in just as the door was closing.

And of course two people in front of me, demanded that they be the only ones on the elevator, because they had immune problems (pro-tip - if you have THAT much of an immune problem, you probably should have voted by mail). The elevator was not sanitized between trips to the 2nd floor, but there was plenty of hand sanitizer throughout the process.

We were each given a pen to use and instructed to keep it (they didn't want to have to clean thousands of pens, but honestly I could've used the one I always keep with me, didn't need theirs).

It actually went fairly smoothly. Only real downside was once we got upstairs into a second line in the hallway, a woman was coming out of the voting room and got way too close to someone going in (pretty sure she bumped into him). I guess he must have said something to her because she went off on him loudly and obnoxiously, acting as though it didn't matter that she wasn't even trying to social distance and who did he think he was giving her a hard time about it.

Or something like that. Anyway it was ridiculous and she was being selfish. But then she was gone, and everyone was peaceful again. We were all pretty peaceful before she showed up too, and it was clear there were several voting one way, several voting another. All just glad to exercise our right to vote.

[kathyspear]

Meanwhile, at Lake County:

The wait was primarily because they only have one elevator and wouldn't put more than 4 people maximum in it at a time going up.

Are there no stairs? Must one go up in the elevator? (They must have stairs in case of a power failure, right?)

kathy

[Lindsyburnsy]

That’s why there is absentee voting.

Thank you. Lines are a real burden for me now. I have been having serious back issues lately and dealing with it best I can. Standing more than 10 minutes is a real struggle. I will get through it somehow I guess.

[Homer49]

. ... just wondering if either place had a box to drop off a completed ballot for those not wanting to stand in line because of a handicap or voting absentee and not particularly caring to use the “pony express”.

At the County Annex on Powell Rd you can carry your ballot for drop off right past the line to a designated place inside - no waiting - very quick in and out - saw many folks do that. There’s a volunteer poll worker outside the door who will direct you.

[herbaru]

The topic was generally about voting today, however, just wondering if either place had a box to drop off a completed ballot for those not wanting to stand in line because of a handicap or voting absentee and not particularly caring to use the “pony express”.

From Sumter County Supervisor of Elections website
"You can turn your Voted Ballot into one of the designated drop off boxes that will be located at each of our Early Voting Sites "
Vote By Mail Information (https://www.sumterelections.org/Ways-to-Vote/Vote-By-Mail-Information)
No need to stand in line.

[Mikef99]

voted at Allamanda about 3p Tuesday maybe took 20minutes wait, there was some sitting possible while waiting....I will say I was walking by a couple times and the line looked significantly longer and I decided to wait for a shorter line.

[Mrmean58]

I went to Lady Lake library yesterday with my completed mail in ballot and was able to go to the front of the line and drop off my ballot just inside the lobby door. Total time from the time I parked to leaving, less than 5 minutes. Never had to stand in line. Go prepared and ask for if there is a drop off box.

[banjobob]

What is the rush,plenty of time to vote.

[davem4616]

Thank you. Lines are a real burden for me now. I have been having serious back issues lately and dealing with it best I can. Standing more than 10 minutes is a real struggle. I will get through it somehow I guess.


wait a few days and go at an 'off hour'...the lines should be shorter

we used that strategy during the last primary and walked right in / out

[Linnberg]

That's all nice, but I used the US Postal re my ballot.

I also did the absentee ballot which shows that it was received on 10/13 on the Sumter county website. It still does not show counted yet. Do you know when after received, it actually gets counted?

[gwenhwalker@yahoo.com]

Thank you. Lines are a real burden for me now. I have been having serious back issues lately and dealing with it best I can. Standing more than 10 minutes is a real struggle. I will get through it somehow I guess.
Voting at Alamanda was about 20 minutes. A man in front of me had a small seat he used while waiting in line

[Villages Kahuna]

We didn’t even trust USPS. The Sumter Election drop boxes are convenient, safer and free!

[Paula]

We drove our golf cart yesterday to Mulberry Rec Center (Marion County), parked out front, walked up to the drop box outside the door, courteous poll watcher checked that we had signed and dated our absentee ballots, and we dropped them in the box. Took all of 30 seconds!

[mk1126]

Yes, Vote by Mail! - No lines.

[44Apple]

I also did the absentee ballot which shows that it was received on 10/13 on the Sumter county website. It still does not show counted yet. Do you know when after received, it actually gets counted?


I believe no ballot gets counted anywhere until Election Day.

[Joe C.]

Voted yesterday at Tierra del Sol rec center. Went around 5pm. There was no line. I walked in and signed in and voted and was out in less than ten minutes. Earlier in the day around noon time, I had driven over to Laurel Manor rec center to vote, but there must have been 50 to 60 people in line to vote.......the line was from inside to outside , down the walkway and out to the sidewalk, with more and more people driving into the parking lot. I decided not to wait, and vote later.

So, I recommend going first thing in the morning or waiting till later in the afternoon.
No matter what, Please Vote!

[OhioBuckeye]

Thank you. Lines are a real burden for me now. I have been having serious back issues lately and dealing with it best I can. Standing more than 10 minutes is a real struggle. I will get through it somehow I guess.

I sympathize with you & your pain. But my real comment to you is THANK YOU FOR VOTING!

[PugMom]

Rohan had plenty of chairs to sit on.
I’ve been having hip pain and had to sit down.
My husband stayed in line while I sat in one of the living rooms and
Joined him right before voting.

thx for the tip, i will be doing the same

[EviesGP]

voted at Allamanda about 3p Tuesday maybe took 20minutes wait, there was some sitting possible while waiting....I will say I was walking by a couple times and the line looked significantly longer and I decided to wait for a shorter line.

Ditto here(I was there about the exact same time?), and it was between 15 and 20mins TOTAL. There were folks there that mentioned that the line earlier in the morning, was out the parking lot and down the street. Regardless, I was quite impressed with the whole process!

[Ralpha]

We voted at Rohan yesterday morning. We got there at 8:15 and the polls opened up promptly at 9:00; we were finished by 9:30. Overall, it was a pleasant experience; they were well organized. However, there was one Ass who wasn’t wearing a mask; it appeared everyone else was complying. I wish they required everyone must wear a mask. Social distancing was next to impossible as we stood in line.

[PamfromNY]

Joe V. Take a folding chair with you. Get on line and inform the people in front of you and behind you that you cannot stand for long periods. Move over to the side and pick up you chair and move along where you can see those people until they get to the door. Go back, resume your spot in line, and Vote.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Are there no stairs? Must one go up in the elevator? (They must have stairs in case of a power failure, right?)

kathy

No, no one was permitted to use the stairs. THey have stairs but they had to keep everything single-file - hard to do that when you have people entering the hallway from multiple locations.

[rmd2]

Went to Laurel Manor about 5 pm. It took about45 minutes. They had chairs inside if you have trouble standing. You can see where you would be at the end of the line and ask that person to remember you so that when they came inside you could get back into the line then.

[kathyspear]

We voted at the Lady Lake library today. Horrible setup. The whole process took us an hour and a half. The line was about halfway down the sidewalk between the building and the parking lot. Voting is upstairs on the 2nd floor. They have a HUGE elevator but they will only let 6 people in at a time. Upstairs there were just two workers checking people in and just two machines to scan (record) ballots. There are about 30 cubicles where people could be filling out ballots but only a half dozen in use at a time (and NOT due to social distancing, just because they won't let more people in / can't process people checking in more efficiently). Very disappointed in Lake County. They should have known by the number of new registrations that interest in this election is off the charts and been prepared for the crowds.

kathy

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

We voted at the Lady Lake library today. Horrible setup. The whole process took us an hour and a half. The line was about halfway down the sidewalk between the building and the parking lot. Voting is upstairs on the 2nd floor. They have a HUGE elevator but they will only let 6 people in at a time. Upstairs there were just two workers checking people in and just two machines to scan (record) ballots. There are about 30 cubicles where people could be filling out ballots but only a half dozen in use at a time (and NOT due to social distancing, just because they won't let more people in / can't process people checking in more efficiently). Very disappointed in Lake County. They should have known by the number of new registrations that interest in this election is off the charts and been prepared for the crowds.

kathy

They were prepared for the crowds. The crowds seem to not have been prepared for early voting during a pandemic, where social distancing is required.

I was further down the sidewalk toward the parking lot than you were, and they wouldn't let more than 4 people into the elevator at a time (as I mentioned up-thread), and I was in and out in under an hour.

In some cities and towns across the country, the first day's early voters had a 6-7 hour wait. I'm sorry that one of the most important responsibilities you have as an American citizen turned out to be such a huge inconvenience.

Next time, vote by mail.

[mjpuleo]

my husband and I went to Powell Road to drop off our mail-in ballots; we were given a website to track our ballots and it worked fine. the website told us when and where our ballots were dropped off and would be counted.

[mtdjed]

We didn’t even trust USPS. The Sumter Election drop boxes are convenient, safer and free!

We were in Winter Park Fl today . A postman walked by us on Park Street, with a wad of mail and unknowingly dropped a letter. I brought it to his attention. He thanked me and picked it up.

Didn't look like a ballot, but .. It was mail. Then again , I heard that a ballot box for dropping ballots "accidently" caught on fire. Decided to stand in line, get my ballot, fill it out and place it into the ballot reader. They all have to get there somehow. To get it there that way , I only have myself to blame. Now if the reader goes defunct...

[coffeebean]

I believe no ballot gets counted anywhere until Election Day.

I voted in person and when I put my ballot into the reading machine, it gave me a read out that said "Your vote has been counted".

[judymichel]

Wrong. Mine counted within 6 days.

[44Apple]

We didn’t even trust USPS. The Sumter Election drop boxes are convenient, safer and free!

I must be old-fashioned but I still trust our institutions, regardless of efforts trying to destroy them.