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Nearly 50% Of Broward Voters Have Already Cast Ballots In General Election

BROWARD (CBSMiami) – There is a strong turnout, once again, among early voters heading to the polls in Broward county. With week two of early voting underway, lines are moving.

There are 1.2 million registered voters in Broward. Roughly 365-thousand have returned their vote-by-mail ballots. Nearly 180-thousand have voted early.

Altogether, that's over half a million ballots cast in Broward County, which is nearly half of all registered voters.

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"It's like something we've never seen before for sure," said early voter Tony Chiniara. "I guess a lot more people are going to vote this time than in my lifetime."

"I want my vote to count," said voter Barbara Walter. Barbara and John Walter are both first time early voters. Barbara says in a prior election, she had trouble with a vote-by-mail ballot. They both can't wait for it to be over.

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"There is so much anger and I don't know, the angry people are going to eat themselves up I believe."

"As they say in New York, enough already. It's just too much and it's almost bordering on irresponsible," said John Walter.

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CBS4 News asked Linda Thompson Gonzalez and Chip LaMarca, who are contenders for north Broward House District 93 seat, what their take is on the early turnout.

"Over the last four years, our democratic institutions are being challenged and I think that's why so many voters are out now because they realize we need to protect our democratic institutions," said Gonzalez, the Democratic challenger in the race.

"This is a bigger turnout and I would say this is more of an opinionated turnout. People are coming out and they don't even want to take the card from the firefighters, who everybody loves, and they either they are on a mission to vote for the President or the Vice President," said LaMarca, the Republican incumbent.

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