JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than 17,000 vote-by-mail ballots have arrived at the Duval County Supervisor of Elections Office as of Thursday. That number, according to election staff, is record-breaking. Of the 17,000, 10,000 ballots have arrived in just the last two days.
Many people continue to show up in person to drop off ballots including Kevon Casswell, 19, who is registering to vote for the first time. Casswell says he wants to be part of this historic election.
“It’s like our future is at stake. I mean, if you don’t go vote how can you have a future?” Caswell said.
Also downtown on Thursday was Pastor R. L. Gundy of Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church who voiced numerous concerns in the past about how the supervisor office is handling this election.
Gundy is questioning why an early voting site from Northwest Jacksonville at Edward Waters College was moved last year and this election it will be at the Prime Osborne Convention Center.
“That’s a predominately white community so it doesn’t look good to move it out of a predominantly Black community,” Gundy said.
He believes it could have been located in other facilities in Northwest Jacksonville.
Supervisor of Elections Mike Hogan said he followed the rules and law.
“Obviously I can’t put one everywhere so we have to spread them out geographically as the statute requires,” Hogan said, adding he is serving the same number of people.
Hogan and others are waiting to see what will happen when early voting begins Oct. 19 .
The lines this week of people just dropping off ballots could be an indication of long lines for early voting and even what we could see election day on Nov. 3.