Early voting started Saturday in Alachua County, and thousands of registered voters stood in line in the chilly wind to make sure their voices were heard.
Pam Carpenter, county supervisor of elections, said about 4,800 people voted Saturday and about 4,200 voted Sunday.
Early voting lasts until Nov. 3, and voters registered in Alachua County can cast their ballots at three locations: the Supervisor of Elections Office, County Administration Building Location, 12 SE First St.; the Millhopper Branch Library, 3145 NW 43rd St.; and the Tower Road Branch Library, 3020 SW 75th St.
Carpenter said the turnout was in the thousands because voters wanted to take advantage of voting on the weekend.
“The people like to take advantage of fitting it into their schedule,” she said, “like checking it off the to-do list.”
Early voting is shorter this year, she said. Changes in election laws cut down the length from two weeks to eight days.
Carpenter said she saw young people in and out of the voting booths all weekend. There was a station wagon shuttling them all day to the downtown voting location.
Rachel McGovern, 20, said Gators for Obama is providing free rides to the polls each day of early voting.
McGovern, political science junior and co-chair of Gators for Obama, said she voted early to avoid the long lines that come with Election Day.
Frank Moehrle, 21-year-old political science senior and chair of Gators for Romney, said he voted early in Martin County because he wouldn’t have time to go home on Election Day to vote and said he didn’t want to cast an absentee ballot.
Moehrle said he researched the ballot ahead of time so he would know who and what he was voting for.
“It is better this way,” he said. “That way, you have time to read the ballot instead of making a decision right then and there.”
Carpenter encouraged people to take advantage of early voting, especially with this year’s ballot.
She said the ballot is several pages long and could take about 20 minutes to read.
The ballot includes more than just the presidential election. It includes other races such as national congressional races, state congressional races and County Commission races.
There are also 11 constitutional amendments and two local issues — one regarding the school board and one regarding county roads.
Early voting started Saturday in Alachua County. Registered voters can vote at three locations, including the Supervisor of Elections Office, Alachua County Administration Building Location, 12 SE 1st St.
