Early Rush

Voters showed up in record numbers Monday to cast their early ballots for the Nov. 4 general election.

They are fired up this year by the presidential race and three county commission battles, Supervisor of Elections Annie Williams said.

By 10 a.m. Monday - an hour-and-a-half after it opened - the elections office on Forest Oaks Boulevard had already recorded 150 voters. At the downtown Brooksville office, there were close to 100.

At noon, Williams said 500 people had voted between the two offices.

A total of 1,335 votes had been cast at the end of the day Monday, setting a new record for the first day of early voting, she said.

"Everyone is really excited this year about the election, and they just want to make sure they get their vote in early and get it over with," Williams said.

Candidates were also taking advantage of the opening flurry of activity, particularly at the westside office which logged more than twice the number of votes than the Brooksville office.

Democrat Diane Rowden's husband, Jay Rowden - chairman of the Hernando County Democratic Executive Committee - was there passing out bottles of "Rowden Water" (bottled water with an affixed Rowden label).

Hernando Today received a complaint that Jay Rowden violated the rule that requires campaigners to stay within 100 feet of the entrance to the voting site, but Williams said she checked it out and found no violations.

Civic activist Blaise Ingoglia parked his truck there urging people to "Vote out Rowden and (Commissioner Chris) Kingsley."

Rowden later stood in front of the truck with one of her own campaign signs.

Early voting continues through Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Hernando County Government Center, 20 North Main St., room 165 in downtown Brooksville and at the Spring Hill Government Center, 7443 Forest Oaks Blvd., in Spring Hill.

Both offices are open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

Voters must have a photo and signature identification.

Voters have until 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, to request an absentee ballot be mailed to them.

For more information, call the elections office at 754-4125.