HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — "We figured when we came and saw the cars and everything we figured we'd be waiting in a long line,” said early voter Ruth Fitzpatrick.
They were not waiting.
Even at one of the busiest early voting locations in Hillsborough County, lines moved speedily.
"I knew what I was going to be voting before I even went in,” said Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick did her homework, filling out her sample ballot before she arrived.
"People are passionate on both sides,” said Don Mellman.
Upwards of 10 percent of registered voters have cast a ballot so far. That’s more than 88 thousand mail-in and early voters, slightly higher than the 2014 midterm election.
"I was the guy who voted for one wrong person on my mail-in ballot so I had to come and do this,” explained Mellman.
Out of 20 early voting sites in Hillsborough County, the four busiest are the Bloomingdale Library, Jan Platt library, South Shore library and the Jimmie B. Keel library.
"It was efficient and effective,” said Mellman.
