The polls were a lonely place during some stretches of the primary election Tuesday.
Fewer than one in four registered voters turned out statewide — about 22%. That's the lowest it's been in 10 years.
Statewide, less than 1 million people voted.
So turnout varied from county to county — depending on which local races were being talked about a lot.
- In Hillsborough, it was 19%, although about one in every four registered Republicans and Democrats voted.
- In Pinellas, there was a 26% turnout. Notably, 35% of all Democrats and 30% of Republicans voted. That shows how motivated many Democrats have become since President Biden dropped his reelection bid.
- In Sarasota, 42% — one out of every four — of all registered Democrats voted, with 35% of Republicans voting, which was probably spurred by spirited races for school board and the Sarasota hospital board.
- In Manatee, one in every four registered voters cast a ballot — one of every three registered Republicans voted.
- Turnout was really low in Pasco, at 16% — and Polk, at 17%, with 23% of Republicans voting.
