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Confused Floridians Turn Out At Polls

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The Associated Press

Published: February 6, 2008

WEST PALM BEACH - Florida voters got so caught up in the excitement of Super Tuesday that many tried to cast ballots for the presidential primaries - again.

Election officials across the state said they fielded hundreds of phone calls from confused voters asking where they could vote Tuesday, apparently unaware that Florida's presidential primary was last week.

"We've had over 100 calls at least over the last two days," said Kathy Adams, a spokeswoman for the Palm Beach County election supervisor.

An Orlando man showed even showed up at a polling site Tuesday morning ready to vote, Orange County Election Supervisor Bill Cowles told the Orlando Sentinel.

He said his office and election supervisors in neighboring counties have had at least two dozen calls each from confused voters.

"It's funny that they want to argue with us about it," said Janet Olin, assistant elections supervisor.

Florida's Legislature moved up its primary last year to Jan. 29 so that the state would have more of a say in choosing the nominees for each party. Although Florida residents weren't voting on Tuesday, 24 other states across the nation were.

Scattered voting problems, including machine glitches and long lines, emerged in some states on the biggest Super Tuesday ever held in America. Overall, voting appeared to go smoothly.

In Manchester, Conn., south of Hartford, turnout surged to nearly 70 percent, forcing election officials to photocopy 3,000 ballots.

There were long lines in Minnesota, Georgia, Tennessee and Kansas. In Johnson County, the largest in Kansas, Democratic caucuses reported delays because of long lines and the relocation of one caucus because of high turnout.

Precincts in Eastern Tennessee stayed open late so throngs of voters in line at closing time could cast ballots. Across the state, however, at least four counties had to close polls early because of tornadoes.

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