The polls in Santa Rosa County have closed and voters have turned out in droves.
Numbers are coming in as it appears the reporting issue has been resolved
Voters who were in line at 7 p.m. will still be allowed to cast a ballot despite being in line when the polls officially closed.
Some precincts are now starting to come into the Supervisor of Elections Office.
President
Mitt Romney 31,367
Barack Obama 10,245
Senator
Connie Mack 27,838
Bill Nelson 12,097
Representative
Jeff Miller 30,717
Jim Bryan 8,154
Sheriff
Wendell Hall 29,818
Chris Roper 12,710
School Board District 4
Charles Wayne Elliott 15,112
Jenny Granse 19,006
32 percent voted by absentee ballot and during the eight day early voting period in Santa Rosa County and Supervisor of Elections Ann Bodenstein is expecting 80 to 90 percent turnout.
Bodenstein reported a small problem in Gulf Breeze when a DS2000 went down. The problem was quickly fixed but some voters had a hour plus wait as a technician was dispatched to fix the problem
As of Sunday, over 37,000 of the nearly 113,600 register voters had let their choices be known.
Besides the Presidential election local races contested include the District 4 spot on the Santa Rosa County School Board and the constitutional office of Sheriff of Santa Rosa County.
Santa Rosa County Sheriff Wendell Hall facing opposition from Chris Roper to see who will serve the next term as sheriff in Santa Rosa County, while Charles Elliott and Jenny Granse are running to see who will replace retiring Santa Rosa County School Board Member JoAnn Simpson.
After the polls close at 7 p.m. the Santa Rosa Press Gazette will be bringing you updated returns in the races for President, sheriff, and school board and a complete listing of results after all the votes come into the Santa Rosa Supervisor of Elections Office.
If Bodenstein’s prediction is correct it would surpass the record of 81.6 percent of the county voting back in 1968.
Ironically the last presidential election drew 71.4 percent of the voters in Santa Rosa County to cast a ballot.
Some are suggesting the lines are being caused by the nine constitutional amendments as well as judge retention votes.
The Amendments on the ballot this year focuses on – health care services, veterans disabled due to combat injury getting a homestead property tax discount, a state government revenue limitation, property tax limitations when property values decline, state courts, prohibition on public funding of abortions, religious freedom, homestead property tax exemption for surviving spouse of military veteran or first responder, tangible personal property tax exemption, an additional homestead exemption for low income seniors, and the appointment of student body president to board of governors of the state university system.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: First votes are in (Update 4)