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Turnout Starts Strong At Pasco Precincts

Photo by Carl Orth

Democratic and Republican boosters campaigned in Holiday and Port Richey on election day. Jim Chafin, left photo, plants an Obama-Biden sign while Teddy and Elizabeth Chmielnicki wave McCain-Palin signs.

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By Carl  Orth | The Suncoast News

Published: November 4, 2008

HOLIDAY - The suspense was building Tuesday morning as voters flocked to West Pasco precincts to cast ballots in the presidential election.

The intense presidential campaign between the Obama-Biden Democratic ticket and the McCain-Palin Republican ticket might generate a historic turnout, some officials have predicted.

Long lines formed at some precincts when polls opened at 7 a.m., county precinct workers report, before slowing down to a steady stream of voters. Precinct workers expect another big crush of voters this evening as people stop to cast ballots on the way home from work.

A glitch disrupted the voting system for about half an hour Tuesday morning at precinct 43 at the Crest Ridge Gardens Community Club on Phoenix Avenue in the Holiday area, elections deputy Joe Gorecki confirmed. He didn't have details about the problem.

"I'm getting the young people," Gorecki observed about the turnout this morning. "I couldn't believe how many young people" at the polls.

At precinct 153 in the Holiday area, the number of voters within the first few hours had topped the entire turnout in the August primary election of about 150 voters, according to precinct worker Vinny Buscetta. About half a dozen Holiday Rotary members help man the precinct at the Key Vista clubhouse.

About 35 people were standing in line at the clubhouse before the polls opened at 7 a.m., Buscetta said.

Soon the line stretched out into the street with 60 to 80 voters, Buscetta added.
Voters might mob the precinct by 5:30 p.m., Buscetta predicted.

Election morning actually had been calmer than the last few days of early voting, Gorecki added.
"That was a zoo," Gorecki said after working at the West Pasco Government Center and South Holiday Branch Library early voting sites.

"The line never stopped" at the Holiday library site from 1 to 7 p.m. Saturday, when early voting ended. "They were all cheerful and having a good time," Gorecki said about early voters standing in line.

Some 68,818 Pasco voters cast ballots early, according to online statistics Monday night from Pasco Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley.

Another 36,572 absentee ballots were tallied by Monday night, according to the elections office.
The total of 105,390 represents a turnout of 35.79 percent of all registered voters in Pasco before the polls ever opened on Tuesday.

Carl Orth can be reached at 727-815-1068 or corth@suncoastnews.com.

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