October 21, 2024 • 5 mins
arly voting begins Monday (21) in most Tampa Bay area counties. Some voters, and some polling places, are relocated because of the impact of hurricanes Helene and Milton. Gordon Byrd speaks with Pasco election supervisor Brian Corley.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Gordon Bird Beyond the News. Early voting getting underway in
many Florida counties on the twenty first of October and
all during the week. There will be some counties that
start on the twenty fourth. One of the counties where
it starts on Monday is Pasco County. Brian Curley, Supervisor
of Elections there, and joins us now on Beyond the News.
Supervisor Curly, Welcome, good afternoon. Well, well, of course, one
(00:22):
of the biggest impacts that you're dealing with, and that
many supervisors around Florida are dealing with, are the impacts
of our two hurricanes this year, Hurricanes Helene and Milton,
that affected your county. And one of the questions that
we have is that, of course we've been hearing about
executive orders from the governor coming down to help those
(00:43):
impacted by hurricanes with the voting process, and does any
of that impact Pasco County.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Yes, yes, it does, actually think great question. So obviously,
Hurricanes Helena Milton kind of threw us the curve ball.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
But the end of the day, we're gonna pull it off.
The show must go on.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I can't thank I understand, It's enough for being very
proactive and listening to our concerns. Our Association of Supervisor
Elections had reached out and we've gotten not one, but
two executive orders that gives us some latitude, but we
know this, we're gonna have a good election in Pasco County.
We of our one hundred and eighteen physical polling places,
we have several that are still questionable if they can
(01:25):
be utilized. You remember we after the hurricane even passed through,
we had secondary flooding in East, Central and West Pasco
that involved more individuals having to seek shelter.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
So it's been a challenge. But of our election day
polling places.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
We are down to just a couple three or four
that were that are questionable, but we think all but
one are going to be able to be utilized amazingly,
which if you'd asked this question a few days ago,
I never would have thought we'd be able to pull
it off.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
So election day we're in a pretty good posture.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Early voting, yeah, starts starts Monday, and we're gonna have
status quo with one minor variation. We're going to utilize
all thirteen sites that we had scheduled to again going
back post post Milton Efforts. Several of those are the
largest facilities we utilized that have been used as shelters
by and FEMA comfort care stations, and so the challenge
(02:18):
had been working with our partners at the county, the state,
and federal to make it all come together. So we
are going to have early voting as we know of
the only are one site over at the Hudson Library
is going to be a shared concept with some of
the parking lot being used as a FEMA comfort care shelter,
but we've got some overfallow parking available, so we're in
a good posture for early voting as well.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
And of course the comfort care brings up the fact
and brings us to the fact that many people have
been dislocated by the hurricanes. What are their options? Is
voting by mail? Getting a mail ballot still an option
at this point.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
We've worked with our with the United States Postal Service
to ensure that voters know they can you know, they
can have an alternate mailing address, they can pick it
up at the post office, and we've really not seen
too much of an issue there. So any voter that
wants to vote by mail ballot can order it have
it mailed to them up until October twenty fourth at
(03:13):
five pm, and I would strongly encourage the listeners to
consider vote by mail because we have a two sheet
ballot with a very very high expectations of vibrant turnout.
We're expecting lines, and our vote by mail utilization is
markedly down from say twenty twenty, for example, where we
(03:34):
had one hundred and twenty thousand voters cast their ballot
via vote by mail, and that's down markedly. And so
the concern is that if you know the utilization is
there for in personally voting election day with a lengthy ballot,
there's gonna be unavoidable lines. Now, lines are not a
bathing necessarily, it's a privilege and honor to get to
wait to vote a little bit to honor those that
(03:54):
Warren wear the uniform. But if you don't not feeling
the weight, you can certainly alleviate that by requesting of
vote I'm mail ballot.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Now, if you've been displaced by Milton and you want
to vote in person, is there anything special above and
beyond what people normally bring to the polls, anything they
need to keep in mind if they still want to
vote in.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Person and whatsoever, it will be status quo.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
The only the great thing about early voting is of
our thirteen sites, well, we will custom print your precinct
specific ballot, so it doesn't matter what part of the
county you're in. If you're a voter, we'll find you
and we'll print your precinct specific ballot. If you happen
to live in Hudson and you happen to be in
holiday or holiday at Lanta Lakes, et cetera, so we
have that covered. The only thing I would recommend is
voters should have very received or will be receiving very today,
(04:39):
probably their sample ballot.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Again, it's a lengthy ballot.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
There's a lot of stuff on there with the amendments,
and so we encourage voters to be prepared by reviewing
your sample ballot, knowing your options about vote by mail
early voting election day, but also knowing what's on the ballot,
having it kind of pre selected, pre filled out, so
when you bring that sample ballot with you can simply
transpose your selection.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
It'll save a lot of time for the voter.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
And knowing not only what but who, because of course
there are of course everybody focuses on the presidential race,
but there are many down ballot races as well, and
it's a lot to go through, and it's a good
idea to be prepared before you go in or sit
down to you with your mail ballot.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
That's an absolutely great point.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
There are some very you know, we voters got all
excited about the presidential election and that's a wonderful thing,
but there are some important races on there that have
probably more of a day a direct impact in our
lives and citizens, you know, looking with the impact that
a county commissioner has, a school board, Canada, state representative,
et cetera. Those are very very important elective offices and
they can't be you know, they can't be overlooked. They're
(05:41):
important that they get looked at as well.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Brian Corley, Pasco County Supervisor of Elections as we go
into early voting, thank you very much for joining us
on beyond the News.
Gordon Bird Beyond the News. Early voting getting underway in
many Florida counties on the twenty first of October and
all during the week. There will be some counties that
start on the twenty fourth. One of the counties where
it starts on Monday is Pasco County. Brian Curley, Supervisor
of Elections there, and joins us now on Beyond the News.
Supervisor Curly, Welcome, good afternoon. Well, well, of course, one
(00:22):
of the biggest impacts that you're dealing with, and that
many supervisors around Florida are dealing with, are the impacts
of our two hurricanes this year, Hurricanes Helene and Milton,
that affected your county. And one of the questions that
we have is that, of course we've been hearing about
executive orders from the governor coming down to help those
(00:43):
impacted by hurricanes with the voting process, and does any
of that impact Pasco County.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Yes, yes, it does, actually think great question. So obviously,
Hurricanes Helena Milton kind of threw us the curve ball.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
But the end of the day, we're gonna pull it off.
The show must go on.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I can't thank I understand, It's enough for being very
proactive and listening to our concerns. Our Association of Supervisor
Elections had reached out and we've gotten not one, but
two executive orders that gives us some latitude, but we
know this, we're gonna have a good election in Pasco County.
We of our one hundred and eighteen physical polling places,
we have several that are still questionable if they can
(01:25):
be utilized. You remember we after the hurricane even passed through,
we had secondary flooding in East, Central and West Pasco
that involved more individuals having to seek shelter.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
So it's been a challenge. But of our election day
polling places.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
We are down to just a couple three or four
that were that are questionable, but we think all but
one are going to be able to be utilized amazingly,
which if you'd asked this question a few days ago,
I never would have thought we'd be able to pull
it off.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
So election day we're in a pretty good posture.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Early voting, yeah, starts starts Monday, and we're gonna have
status quo with one minor variation. We're going to utilize
all thirteen sites that we had scheduled to again going
back post post Milton Efforts. Several of those are the
largest facilities we utilized that have been used as shelters
by and FEMA comfort care stations, and so the challenge
(02:18):
had been working with our partners at the county, the state,
and federal to make it all come together. So we
are going to have early voting as we know of
the only are one site over at the Hudson Library
is going to be a shared concept with some of
the parking lot being used as a FEMA comfort care shelter,
but we've got some overfallow parking available, so we're in
a good posture for early voting as well.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
And of course the comfort care brings up the fact
and brings us to the fact that many people have
been dislocated by the hurricanes. What are their options? Is
voting by mail? Getting a mail ballot still an option
at this point.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
We've worked with our with the United States Postal Service
to ensure that voters know they can you know, they
can have an alternate mailing address, they can pick it
up at the post office, and we've really not seen
too much of an issue there. So any voter that
wants to vote by mail ballot can order it have
it mailed to them up until October twenty fourth at
(03:13):
five pm, and I would strongly encourage the listeners to
consider vote by mail because we have a two sheet
ballot with a very very high expectations of vibrant turnout.
We're expecting lines, and our vote by mail utilization is
markedly down from say twenty twenty, for example, where we
(03:34):
had one hundred and twenty thousand voters cast their ballot
via vote by mail, and that's down markedly. And so
the concern is that if you know the utilization is
there for in personally voting election day with a lengthy ballot,
there's gonna be unavoidable lines. Now, lines are not a
bathing necessarily, it's a privilege and honor to get to
wait to vote a little bit to honor those that
(03:54):
Warren wear the uniform. But if you don't not feeling
the weight, you can certainly alleviate that by requesting of
vote I'm mail ballot.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Now, if you've been displaced by Milton and you want
to vote in person, is there anything special above and
beyond what people normally bring to the polls, anything they
need to keep in mind if they still want to
vote in.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Person and whatsoever, it will be status quo.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
The only the great thing about early voting is of
our thirteen sites, well, we will custom print your precinct
specific ballot, so it doesn't matter what part of the
county you're in. If you're a voter, we'll find you
and we'll print your precinct specific ballot. If you happen
to live in Hudson and you happen to be in
holiday or holiday at Lanta Lakes, et cetera, so we
have that covered. The only thing I would recommend is
voters should have very received or will be receiving very today,
(04:39):
probably their sample ballot.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Again, it's a lengthy ballot.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
There's a lot of stuff on there with the amendments,
and so we encourage voters to be prepared by reviewing
your sample ballot, knowing your options about vote by mail
early voting election day, but also knowing what's on the ballot,
having it kind of pre selected, pre filled out, so
when you bring that sample ballot with you can simply
transpose your selection.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
It'll save a lot of time for the voter.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
And knowing not only what but who, because of course
there are of course everybody focuses on the presidential race,
but there are many down ballot races as well, and
it's a lot to go through, and it's a good
idea to be prepared before you go in or sit
down to you with your mail ballot.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
That's an absolutely great point.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
There are some very you know, we voters got all
excited about the presidential election and that's a wonderful thing,
but there are some important races on there that have
probably more of a day a direct impact in our
lives and citizens, you know, looking with the impact that
a county commissioner has, a school board, Canada, state representative,
et cetera. Those are very very important elective offices and
they can't be you know, they can't be overlooked. They're
(05:41):
important that they get looked at as well.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Brian Corley, Pasco County Supervisor of Elections as we go
into early voting, thank you very much for joining us
on beyond the News.
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