ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — It is gearing up to be possibly the busiest election in St. Johns County ever.
St. Johns County’s growth is prompting more polling places, and that’s not all. With more people moving to and living in St. Johns County, there are more voters.
As of Thursday , for a county with an estimate population of 333,148 people, there are more than 220,568 registered voters. That is close to St. Johns County’s population, 218,009 people, just eight years ago.
And the more voters, "the more staff I need for the services we provide," St. Johns County's Supervisor of Elections Vicky Oakes said.
Since the last presidential election the office has added two additional polling places due to the growth. And that demands more election employees than ever before.
"We will hire and train 650 poll workers," Oakes said.
And the turn out? In the last presidential election, St. Johns County had an 85% voter turnout. It was the third highest in the state.
For this upcoming presidential election, buckle up.
"This is the first year, our largest election, we’re planning on a 90% voter turn out," Oakes noted.
That is incredibly high. Why?
"It's not just a presidential year," Oakes said. "There are some very controversial amendments on the ballot."
They include legalizing recreational marijuana, abortion, and making school board races partisan.
It makes for a hopping election season for Oakes. When she started in the county’s elections office in 1988, she remembered, "when you registered to vote, you had to come in to our office to register. You had to present your identification, raise your right hand, and read the oath aloud to us."
She smiled, "And times have changed!"