On the day before St. Petersburg’s mayoral and City Council District 6 primaries, nearly 34,000 ballots have already been cast.
Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Deborah Clark posted updated vote-by-mail numbers showing that, as of Monday morning, 67,820 mail ballots have been sent, with just under 50 percent – 33,896 – have returned. By party, 16,383 Democrats, 11,823 Republicans and 5,690 NPR/other have cast votes.
With mayoral-only ballots, as of Friday, 29,842 have returned of the 59,000 mailed (just under 51 percent). Of the 8,858 of the mayoral and District 6 ballots sent, 4,054 (about 46 percent) have returned as of Friday.
According to Clark’s office, there are 169,770 registered voters eligible to vote in this election: 47,011 Republicans, 78,253 Democrats and 44,506 NPA/other. This means about 20 percent of all voters have cast early mail-in ballots.
Incumbent Mayor Rick Kriseman faces a crowded primary field Aug. 29, which includes his leading opponent – former two-term Mayor Rick Baker – as well as Anthony Cates III, Paul Congemi, Theresa “Momma Tee” Lassiter and Jesse Nevel. Candidate Ernisa Barnwell had been disqualified due to a filing error, and any vote cast for her will not count.
On the District 6 primary ballot are Justin Bean, Robert Blackmon, Eritha “Akile” Cainion, Gina Driscoll, Corey Givens Jr., James “Jim” Jackson, James Scott and Maria Scruggs. District 6 is a diverse part of the city that includes downtown and parts of the Old Northeast and Midtown, a largely African-American neighborhood.
The top two candidates in the Aug. 29 primary will go on to the Nov. 7 general election — which will also include the District 2 race between Brandi Gabbard and Barclay Harless, as well as District 4, between Jerick Johnston and incumbent Councilmember Darden Rice. Reauthorization for the Penny for Pinellas sales tax is also on the ballot.
Mail ballots must be received by 7 p.m. Tuesday, Election Day at one of the Pinellas elections offices: 315 Court St, Room 117, in Clearwater; 13001 Starkey Rd, Largo (Starkey Lakes Corporate Center) and 501 First Ave. N (Fifth St. N Entrance), St. Petersburg. Office hours are Monday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Election Day hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
