Alachua County residents can vote early at Santa Fe College this year.
The Supervisor of Elections is expecting a larger voter turnout for the 2024 general election, and after seeing early voting turnout results at the Millhopper Library in previous years, decided to open Santa Fe College as a polling site to reduce some of the wait times.
“It’s right by our house, and there’s no lines,” said Brian Mathien, accompanied by his wife, Tara. “We went to the Millhopper Library yesterday, and there was still a 30-minute wait.”
The additional early voting site is at Santa Fe College’s Northwest campus. The surrounding streets were lined with signs displaying candidate names and arrows directing voters where to drive.
“We wanted to cater to the growing part of the county, the western side,” said Aaron Klein, director of communications for Alachua County Supervisor of Elections. "There was so much popularity at the nearby libraries, so Santa Fe gives people an opportunity to utilize another location close to them.”
Voters who may have traveled to the Tower Road or Millhopper Branch libraries can skip potential lines and pick the location that best accommodates their schedules.
“I heard about it on the Nextdoor app,” said Drew White, an Alachua County resident. “I’m afraid something could happen on Election Day, so it’s just easier to vote early.”
Santa Fe College students also have the chance to vote at the school they attend several times a week. Voting officials hope the additional convenience encourages college-aged residents to vote early.
“It’s close for us. We go to school here,” said Santa Fe student Gavin Willis, who voted with Alyssa Nicks on campus.
“My mom actually told me we could vote here,” Nicks added.
The Supervisor of Elections office explained it was approached by the college to open the facilities for voters in time for the general election. They were inspired after seeing successful turnout rates at the University of Florida location.
The Reitz Union has been used as an early voting site since 2018, allowing students, faculty and other Alachua County residents to vote at their convenience.
“I still have classes on Election Day, so early voting made sure I could vote on my time,” said Amelia Packham, a senior majoring in political science and women’s studies at the University of Florida. “I’m really passionate about reproductive rights, and with amendment 4 on the ballot this year, every vote counts.”
To make the commute to the Student Union easier, several organizations across the University of Florida, including the Hispanic-Latine Student Association, the Jewish Student Union and the African American Student Union, organized an event to bring students to the polls.
On Oct. 22, students were picked up at the Institute of Black and Hispanic-Latino Culture buildings on University Avenue and driven to the Reitz Union to vote.
“We’ve been encouraging others to take the bus and come vote,” said Amber Haydar, a member of the UF HSA.
Because two of the eight voting sites across the county are on college campuses, voting officials hope to see an increase in college students voting in this election. The county also saw record-breaking numbers of people vote daily, with almost 5,000 people voting on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
In the 2020 election, only around 13% of early voters in Alachua County were 25 years old or younger, while 47% were 56 or older, according to the Florida Department of State Division of Elections.
“It’s hard to know exactly what the turnout will look like as it changes every election,” said Klein. “We’re seeing a lot more people voting early this year, and it’ll allow more people to do their civic responsibility.”
Early voting polling sites are open until Nov. 3 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. All voters registered in Alachua County can cast their vote or drop off their vote-by-mail ballot at any location in the county. A photo ID is required to enter.
Though voting early can relieve some of the pressure of navigating the polls, many voters still choose to vote on Election Day at their designated polling place.
“We want to be ready for high turnouts, as tens of thousands turn out to vote on Election Day,” said Klein. “It’s a ritual or tradition for many to visit their assigned places with their family and friends. Excitement is at the highest.”