More Elections

• AP: Obama won Florida on early, absentee voting
• Panel makes Obama's Fla. victory official
• Burt Saunders steps out of public service spotlight, but for how long?

Tell us about it

• What would you add to this story? Tell us what we missed.
• Do you have photos from this event? Documents we need to see? Share with us.
• Upload photos & videos
• More ways to get your stuff online and in the paper.

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

Share and Enjoy [?]

Early voting and the new optical-scan voting machines continued to win a vote of confidence Saturday when Collier County residents took advantage of a chance to cast ballots early.

North Naples resident Joanne Gillespie joined what so far has been an estimated 3,800 Collier County early voters casting ballots before the Aug. 26 primary.

Saturday, she visited the Library Headquarters, 2385 Orange Blossom Drive, to cast a vote.

“I found it was very convenient,” Gillespie, 66, said.

If it wasn’t for the opportunity to vote early, Gillespie, a sixth-grade math teacher at Golden Gate Middle School, would have had to wake up around 6 a.m. to make it to her polling location and then get to work at 7:15 a.m. It was her first time casting her vote early.

Waiting time was short Saturday morning.

“Everyone was very pleasant,” said Gillespie, who wore an “I voted” sticker.

As of the close of early voting Saturday night, 3,821 residents had voted early at seven Collier sites, said Gary Beauchamp, Collier’s chief deputy supervisor of elections.

Turnout was about what officials had expected. Early voting started Monday.

Beauchamp said he expected more people to cast their votes in the coming week before early voting closes next weekend.

Among others casting their votes on the new optical-scan voting machines at the Library Headquarters was Robert Crawford and wife, Kathleen.

“It was easy,” Robert Crawford, 42, said. “It was the easiest it’s ever been.”

Supporters of candidates, including those for sheriff and School Board, greeting voters as they entered the library.

Several miles away, at the Collier Supervisor of Elections Office, 3301 U.S. 41 E., the day played out in a similar fashion.

The School Board primary was the reason many voters, such as Johnna Dettis, visited the polls.

Dettis, of East Naples, visited the Collier Supervisor of Elections Office so she wouldn’t have to cast an absentee ballot, considering she works in Fort Myers and wouldn’t have been able to visit a polling place during the week.

“I’m thrilled that they are here on Saturday,” Dettis, 55, said.

___

EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS AND TIMES

Early voting in the Aug. 26 primary elections continues through Saturday, Aug. 23, at the following locations and times:

COLLIER COUNTY

Monday through Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

• Supervisor of Elections Office, 3301 U.S. 41 East, East Naples

• Naples City Hall, 735 Eighth St. S., Naples

• County Library Headquarters, 2385 Orange Blossom Drive, North Naples

• Golden Gate Library, 2432 Lucerne Road, off Golden Gate Parkway

• Marco Island Library, 210 S. Heathwood Drive

• Immokalee Library, 417 N. First St.

• Everglades City Hall, 102 Copeland Ave.

Phone information for all Collier locations: 252-8450.

LEE COUNTY

Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Lee County Elections Main Office, 2480 Thompson St., Fort Myers; LEE-VOTE (533-8683)

• Lee County Election Center Branch Office (across from Bell Tower Shops, rear of Robb Stucky), 13180 S. Cleveland Ave.; Fort Myers; phone 533-6918

• Cape Coral Branch Office, 1031 S.E. Ninth Place, No. 3, Cape Coral; phone 533-7031

• Bonita Springs Branch Office, 24951 Old U.S. 41, No. 10; Bonita Springs; phone 949-1581.

• East County Regional Library, 881 Gunnery Road, Lehigh Acres; phone 533-8683