Mail-in ballots could be deciding factor in primary election

As voters across Florida prepare to cast their ballots in Tuesday’s primary, a crucial factor could already be inside the ballot box.

“The vote by mail is the turning point,” said Lee County Supervisor of Elections Tommy Doyle.

Doyle says his office has noticed a major increase in main-in ballots.

“Vote by mail has increased quite a bit,” Doyle said. “50 percent of our requests have been returned, which is –that’s a pretty good return for an off year election.”

Two million people have voted early already in Florida, including Donna Randolph, who decided to deliver her mail-in ballot in person.

“I called them and they said it would be a good idea to bring it in,” Randolph said. “So I wanted to be sure it was counted so I brought it in.”

Doyle says once these early votes are counted, they could be the difference in the outcome.

“There may be some changes depending on the turnout tomorrow, but once that vote by mail is done, the election is pretty much over for the candidates,” Doyle said.

If you have a Lee County mail-in ballot, there’s still time to submit it, but you’ll have to do it in person. Click here for more information.