EATONVILLE, Fla. —  The historic town of Eatonville has its first early voting location as part of the ongoing early voting efforts in Orange County.

This is one of two new early voting sites introduced in the county this election season.

Gracie Casey, a lifelong resident of Eatonville and a former student of Hungerford Elementary, has witnessed the town’s growth over the years. Now, she takes on the role of clerk at the new early voting site.

“It’s a plus for me,” she said. “I was excited when they asked me to be the clerk in this new facility set up for early voting. This is a new site for us, and I got excited again. This is an area I live in.”

The voting site is conveniently located at the town’s city hall on East Kennedy Boulevard. Milard Livatt, another Eatonville resident, grew up on the town’s west side. Livatt says he typically waits until Election Day to vote, but he recognizes the advantages of the new location.

“It also gives them more than one opportunity. If they’re not feeling up to it today, they still have another chance to get mentally prepared,” he said. 

Casey highlighted that the new site is staffed with ten workers, ensuring smooth operations.

“There’s no excuse for not voting because you can’t get there," said Casey. "You’re right here. Your neighbors are coming to vote. You could tag along with your neighbor. However you can get here, we just need you to get here, because now we are here in the community and I love that.”

Across the county, there are 22 locations available for early voting. Each site is equipped with a secure ballot intake station, where voters can safely drop off their vote-by-mail ballots.

Early voting continues through Aug. 18, from 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.