TAVARES, Fla. — In just two years, elections officials in Lake County have already outgrown their current headquarters and now must decide how to handle the office’s growing needs.

From wall to wall, and floor to ceiling, elections equipment is stored in almost every nook and cranny. The office also rented a storage trailer to secure equipment and other items to give the supervisor of elections office approximately 10,000 square feet of storage. By comparison, Marion County’s supervisor of elections office — with a similar voter base — measures more than 50,000 square feet.

“We thought this facility would be adequate for at least 5, maybe 10 years,” Lake County Supervisor of Elections Alan Hays said.

What the county didn't anticipate was growth. Since the 2016 election, the number of registered voters has grown by 40,000.

Plans now are to build an expansion at a cost of $500,000 — on property the county leases for about $20,000 per month. During a recent county commission meeting, however, lawmakers put the brakes on moving forward with a new lease.

“The question now is, are we going to add on to the present facility and continue leasing, or would the people of Lake County be better off to build an adequately sized facility?” Hays said.

With no sign of population growth letting up, the lack of space for new equipment could speed up a decision within the next few months. A workshop is planned for the end of this month, and county officials said they will review all options.