FL Election Day 2020: 1st Results To Come At 7:15, Voter Concerns

Last updated at 6:1 p.m.

FLORIDA — A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the U.S. Postal Service to sweep South Florida facilities for any remaining mail-in ballots, while Hillsborough County authorities said they were unaware of voter intimidation after a citizen filed a complaint.

More than one million people voted early in Miami-Dade, Florida's most populous county, according to election officials. The first results were expected to be released around 7:15 p.m.
Nearby Broward County planned to release its first results even sooner.

"The results of 800,000 ballots will be announced at 7 o'clock tonight so you will get a very good idea of what things look like in Broward at 7 o'clock," predicted Broward Supervisor of Elections Peter Antonacci before polls closed.

Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered soldiers to be positioned “in several locations across the state, standing by to assist local law enforcement and their communities as needed,” said Lt. Col. Caitlin Brown, spokeswoman for the Florida National Guard.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump are both banking on Florida's 29 electoral votes to give them the White House, and need 270 electoral votes to win the race.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an anonymous complaint called into Pro Publica's Electionland Tuesday of two men who were questioning voters at the Maureen B. Gauzza Public Library, 11211 Countryway Blvd. in Westchase, as they entered the polling site.

Electionland is a coalition of newsrooms around the country, including Patch, covering problems that prevent eligible voters from casting their ballots during the elections.

The caller said two white men who identified themselves as deputies were stationed in camp chairs outside the Westchase library. They were reportedly questioning voters within 150 feet of the voting precinct, a violation of state election laws.

The caller said one man wore a red, white and blue American flag shirt and the other wore a short-sleeved button down shirt. Both had on gray baseball caps.

Amanda Granit, assistant chief communications officer for the sheriff’s office, told Patch the sheriff’s office hasn’t received any complaints of voter intimidation or electioneering at any Hillsborough County voting precincts, however, she said patrols will check out the complaint.

Gerri Kramer, communications manager for the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections office, said there's no need to worry.

"There is nothing to this. There is a poll worker position called the 'poll deputy.' This person sits outside the polling place to maintain order within the 150-foot zone. They are very friendly people," Kramer said.

Related: Election Day 2020 In Florida: Live Updates From Polling Sites

While lines at many Tampa and St. Petersburg polling sites were short Tuesday morning, that was not the case in the Bradenton area. But election volunteers said that across the region Election Day seemed quiet overall.

“I’m not sure if we should be worried or not. It’s probably because of early voting, though,” one worker told Patch.

From about 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. on Election Day, many polling locations saw long lines, said Frank Wilson, a poll worker at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, located at 1 Haben Blvd. in Palmetto.

“We had people in line since 6 (a.m.),” he told a Patch editor. “There was a major rush at opening. One of the maintenance managers here told me he never saw it this busy and he’s been here a long time. … We’ve never seen crowds like that.”

The lines have slowed since, Wilson said. By 9 a.m., people were moving quickly into the building to vote with no wait.

“Everything was very calm and not very busy. It was easy,” said Marie Kilman, who voted at the convention center around 11 a.m. with her husband, Jim.

Judge Emmet Sullivan of the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia ordered the Postal Service to conduct the sweep in a number of states by 3 p.m. ET, multiple news outlets including CNN reported.

According to his ruling, Sullivan made the order "to ensure that no ballots have been held up and that any identified ballots are immediately sent out for delivery."

The ruling affects districts in several key battleground states including Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Arizona and Florida.

Tracy Gray, a non-partisan volunteer at the polling station at Bradenton Dream Center, 1816 9th Street West in Bradenton, said the day started strong with people lining up before the polls even opened.

“Then at 7 a.m. it dissipated. The line went away. People were coming steady, but one or two at a time,” she said. “They seem to be in and out in five minutes.”

This isn’t limited to the BDC, she said. Gray heard that “it’s been pretty quiet” at all polling locations throughout Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Gray added, “I’m not sure if we should be voted or not. It’s probably because of early voting, though.”

Voter Maggie Scherette, who cast her ballot at the BDC, was surprised by how quickly she voted.

“It was easy. It was a piece of cake,” she said. “It’s lunch time on voting day and there’s no lines. Maybe I should have waited until Christmas Eve.”

Related:

• Bradenton Election 2020 Update: Voting 'A Piece Of Cake' So Far

Reporting and photos by Patch Editors Tiffany Razzano and D'Ann White.