Election 2022: Early voting continues; deadline to request mailed ballot is Saturday

Mark Harper, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
·2 min read
Early voting has commenced in Volusia and Flagler counties. Here voters in Palm Coast exit and enter the polling site in the Palm Coast Community Center on Tuesday.
Early voting has commenced in Volusia and Flagler counties. Here voters in Palm Coast exit and enter the polling site in the Palm Coast Community Center on Tuesday.

As early voting for the Nov. 8 midterm election continues in Volusia and Flagler counties, voters who want a ballot mailed to them face a deadline Saturday.

Until 5 p.m. Saturday, voters can request a mail ballot by calling or going to the Volusia County or Flagler County supervisors' websites. Volusia's number is 386-736-5930 and Flagler's is 386-313-4170. Otherwise, their options are to go to one of the early voting sites. There are seven in Volusia County and four in Flagler County.

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Nearly 70% of Americans voted early or by mail in the 2020 election, according to U.S. Census data. That was up from about 40% in 2016.

“Our democracy is strongest when every eligible voter can cast a ballot freely and fairly,” said Amy Keith, program director for Common Cause Florida, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting democracy. “We know we all plan to vote, but sometimes life happens and we’re not able to get to the polls before they close. Voting by mail ensures no matter what happens in our lives on Election Day, we can still make our voices heard.”

Local voter turnout thus far

In Volusia County, nearly 18% of the eligible voters — nearly 73,000 — had cast ballots as of noon Friday. Republicans led Democrats, with a 43% to 36% margin. Nearly 20% of the votes came from people with no party affiliation.

Flagler County, which started early voting on Monday, two days before Volusia, has seen 23% turnout thus far, with 21,968 votes cast. Republicans there led Democrats by more than 3,000 votes, or a 48% to 34% margin.

The midterm ballot includes races for U.S. Senate and governor at the top, Congress seats in the 6th and 7th Districts, four state Legislature seats, as well as six Volusia County Council seats, two Volusia County School Board seats, mayoral races in Ormond Beach, Edgewater, Deltona and DeLand and municipal races scattered across Volusia County. There is also a race for Flagler County Commission, another for Flagler County School Board and two Palm Coast City Council seats on the ballot.

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This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Deadline to request mail ballots for Nov. 8 election arrives Saturday