ORLANDO, Fla. — As of Monday, Orange County reported a 53% voter turnout, with over 300,000 early votes and 143,000 mail-in ballots received.

Orange County Supervisor of Elections Glen Gilzean said that with many more anticipated to head out on Election Day, voters should prepare for potentially long wait times.

What You Need To Know

  • High voter turnout in Orange County led to long lines and delays during early voting, with many voters spending hours at polling sites

  • Supervisor of Elections Glen Gilzean is encouraging voters to review sample ballots ahead of time to expedite the process on Election Day

  • Voters who still have mail-in ballots should drop them off at the Supervisor of Elections office, as they must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day to count

Gilzean attributed delays at early voting sites to voters taking longer to complete their ballots, often encountering amendments for the first time when they arrived.

“It’s important for people to go through their sample ballot beforehand,” Gilzean said. “Many voters had to take extra time on-site to review these amendments, slowing down the process.”

He said the number of voting sites and the capacity of ballot printers also contributed.

Each site is equipped with a limited number of ballot printers, which can lead to bottlenecks as voter traffic increases.

Officials said that any remaining mail-in ballots should be dropped off directly at the Supervisor of Elections office to ensure they are received by 7 p.m. on Election Day, as ballots arriving later will not be counted.

“Do not mail it now,” Gilzean stressed. “If we don’t have it in hand by 7 p.m. on election night, it will not count.”