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Decided? Then Cast Your Ballot

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By JULIA FERRANTE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 14, 2008

Voters who've made up their minds about property taxes and who want a say in their party's nomination for the presidential election may vote early in Pasco County starting today.

Seven polling places will open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays until primary election day on Jan. 29. Registered voters must bring photo and signature identification or they will have to vote on a provisional ballot.

Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley said it's difficult to predict how many people will turn out for early voting this time because of controversy about Florida moving up its presidential primary.

The Democratic National Committee has decided to seat no Florida delegates, and Democratic candidates have agreed not to campaign here formally because the primary was moved from March to January. Republicans will seat half their delegates.

"It's really a very difficult number to come up with," Corley said.

The property tax amendment, which proposes higher upfront exemptions and portability of Save Our Homes discounts for full-time residents, may attract more voters, if past attendance is any indication, Corley said.

In March 2000, a surprisingly low 14.95 percent of Pasco's registered voters turned out for the presidential primary when neither party had an incumbent in the race, Corley noted.

In 2004, when President Bush was seeking re-election and there was no reason for Republicans to pick a nominee, 28.84 percent of voters turned out, Corley said. He attributes the higher numbers to the Penny for Pasco referendum, which proposed an additional 1 cent of sales tax to pay for new schools, roads and emergency services.

Corley's office mailed out 3,500 ballots Dec. 10. As of Friday, more than 2,500 had been returned, he said.

Early voting has caught on in Pasco since it started in 2004. The presidential primary that year drew 3,104 early voters, 7,650 absentee voters and 41,634 traditional voters.

During the 2004 general election, 29,584 people voted early, 34,799 voted absentee, and 127,526 turned out at the polls on Election Day.

The 2006 primary drew 6,590 early voters, 5,048 absentee voters and 40,432 others on primary day. In the general election later that year, Pasco had 19,020 early voters, 16,589 absentee voters and 94,458 traditional voters.

The following are the polling places open for early voting:

•East Pasco Government Center, 14236 Sixth St., Suite 200, Dade City.

•Supervisor of Elections Office, 5325 Village Market, (State Road 54 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard) Wesley Chapel.

•West Pasco Government Center, 7530 Little Road, Suite 110, New Port Richey.

•Central Pasco Government Center, 4111 Land O' Lakes Blvd., Suite 105, Land O' Lakes.

•South Holiday Branch Library, 4649 Mile Stretch Drive, Holiday.

•Hudson Regional Library, 8012 Library Road, Hudson.

•New River Branch Library, 34043 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel.

For details, call the supervisor of elections office at 1-800-851-8754, fax (352) 521-4319 or visit www.pascovotes.com.

Reporter Julia Ferrante can be reached at (813) 948-4220 or jferrante@tampatrib.com.

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