As many as 900 Glades County voters have already cast their ballots ahead of Tuesday’s primary election.
According to the latest election data, 420 of the county’s 6,765 active eligible voters have voted in person during early voting. Another 480 voters have returned mail ballots, bringing the total number of ballots cast so far to 900.
Among those who have already voted, 633 are Republicans and 202 are Democrats.
Early voting also brought several first-time voters to the polls. The Glades County Supervisor of Elections office photographed some of them and shared their pictures on its Facebook page.
The primary election will be held Tuesday, Aug. 18.
Florida is a closed-primary state, meaning voters generally must be registered with a political party to vote in that party’s primary. However, the Glades County School Board races are nonpartisan and are open to all registered voters.
One of the main local races is for the District 4 seat on the Glades County Commission.
Incumbent Hattie Taylor faces Linda Cisneros and Tarik Kose in the Republican primary. With no Democrat running for the seat, the winner of Tuesday’s primary will become the next District 4 commissioner.
Commissioner Jeff Barnes is running unopposed in District 2.
Two Glades County School Board seats are also being contested.
In District 1, Angie Woodward Hough faces Anita Thielen Sauls for the seat being vacated by Crystal Drake.
In District 5, incumbent Patricia Pearce faces former teacher Lauren V. Thompson.
Glades County voters will also have a say in several major state and federal races.
Following Florida’s congressional redistricting overhaul, seven Republicans are running in the 9th Congressional District: Ben Butler, Marcus Carter, Thomas Chalifoux Jr., Dan Green, Jorge Martinez, Steve Rance and Justin Story.
The Republican winner will face Democratic Rep. Darren Soto, who is unopposed in his party’s primary, in the November general election.
Republicans will also choose a nominee for governor to replace term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis. U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds enters the final days of the campaign as the clear favorite in polling. His opponents include Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, investor James Fishback and several lesser-known candidates.
On the Democratic side, former Republican congressman David Jolly, who later became a Democrat, is the best-known candidate in another crowded primary.
Glades County elections are overseen by Supervisor of Elections Aletris Farnam, who has served in the position since 2016.
Polls will be open Tuesday for voters who have not yet cast a ballot.