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Winter storm halts early voting, but Escambia County extends poll hours to ensure access
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. — The extreme winter weather interrupted just about everything this week in Northwest Florida, including early voting for next week’s congressional primary election.
Republican voters are being asked to decide on a candidate to fill the seat vacated by Matt Gaetz.
“It was something new for all of us,” said Robert Bender, Escambia County Supervisor of Elections. “I called the state last week and said, ‘I think we’re gonna have an event that we’ve never had in Florida elections before’ — and that is being closed for a snow storm.”
Bender says the second they saw the forecast, they began preparations.
“We expanded hours early on the front end so that it would give voters an opportunity to come in before the snow storm,” he said.
Many voters took advantage of that opportunity.
“We did hear from a lot of people that they were coming in and getting it out of the way ahead of the snow storm,” Bender said. “And it showed in our numbers. Compared to March, we actually doubled the numbers of voters on a Sunday than what we had in March.”
Just in case you haven’t already, there’s still time to cast your vote.
The poll hours have also been extended these last two days: opening from 7a.m. to 7 p.m.
“We think everyone has had an opportunity to vote if they want to, especially being open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and tomorrow,” Bender said.
Due to a severe winter storm hitting the area, early voting in Escambia County has been temporarily halted for the safety of voters and poll workers. However, in order to ensure that all residents have access to the polls, Escambia County has announced that they will be extending poll hours.
This decision was made to accommodate any voters who may have been unable to make it to the polls earlier in the day due to the inclement weather. By extending the hours, the county is ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to cast their vote in this important election.
Escambia County officials are urging residents to stay safe and only venture out if absolutely necessary. They are also encouraging voters to take advantage of the extended hours to make their voices heard in this election.
Despite the challenges posed by the winter storm, Escambia County is committed to ensuring that every eligible voter has the opportunity to participate in the democratic process. The extended poll hours are just one way that they are working to make that happen.
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