Lee elections supervisor warns: Vote early or face long lines Election Day
Lee County Elections Supervisor Tommy Doyle has been able to rely on more than 90 polling places on Election Day during during the major elections during his tenure in office, but now he's warning voters to get out for early voting or face long lines Nov. 8.
A lot of poll workers are recovering from impact of Hurricane Ian, so instead of more than 90 places to count ballots, only a dozen polling places will be open Election Day.
"We couldn't get enough poll workers because they're displaced, their houses got damaged and ruined and no power," said Doyle, who has the authority of the governor to run early voting right up to the time the polls close on Nov. 8.
The warning has been issued before, but based on the turnout on the early voting days so far, the election supervisor is getting blunt.
If you don't vote early you may be waiting a long time next Tuesday. For Doyle it's even worse if people give up and go home without balloting.
"We've got an executive order to get people out to vote," Doyle said, adding the warning: "If you wait until Election Day there will be a wait."
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One glaring example of traditional balloting places that are out of service is found at the many houses of worship used as polling places.
Churches were damaged leaving pastors scrambling for funds and workers to fix things. Churches that are pretty much intact also can't be used for voting because many have been pressed into relief work, Doyle said.
Hurricanes know little about logistics. As elections supervisor, Doyle knows a lot more than he knew seven years ago.
"On Election Day we need 25 trucks to deliver our equipment to 97 sites," he said. "We couldn't get those trucks, we couldn't guarantee these trucks.
Voting procedures have been changed for the election. Voters can cast ballots on a touchscreen, ballots will be printed, and they can take them to the box. If voters mismark their ballots, they can fix them without getting a new ballot.
Government buildings are just about the only places where ballots can be cast. At least one of the bigger early voting sites, Carrie Robinson Center in Dunbar, will not be a voting station this year.
But residents can vote at any of 12 early voting centers that will be open.
"Go out and vote now, don't wait for Election Day," Doyle said.
Lee voting sites
Lee County Elections Office, 13180 S. Cleveland Avenue
North Fort Myers recreation center, 2500 N. Recreation Parkway
Cape Coral - Lee County library, 921 SW 39th Terrace
Bonita Springs, elections office branch
25987 South Tamiami Trail #105
Cape Coral, elections office branch
1039 SE 9th Ave.
Schandler Hall Community Park
419 Royal Palm Road, Fort Myers
East Regional Library
881 Gunnery Road, Lehigh Acres
Estero Recreation Center
9200 Corkscrew Palms Boulevard
Fort Myers Regional Library
1651 Lee Street, downtown Fort Myers
Wa-Ke Hatchee Recreation Center
16760 Bass Road, Fort Myers
Northeast Regional Library, 519 Chiquita Blvd. N., Cape Coral
Veterans Park Recreation Center, 55 Homestead Road N., Lehigh Acres
Voting hours:
Through Nov. 7, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Election Day, Nov. 8., 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Hurricane Ian aftermath: Fewer Election Day polls may cause long lines
