Two years worth of elections clearly show that voters prefer early voting and voting-by-mail, at least as voter turnout is concerned.
I’ve taken a look at the 2009 and 2010 municipal elections and the data clearly indicates that Pinellas voters have not only accepted the concept of voting-by-mail, but appear to prefer voting-by-mail.
Here is the turnout information with the St. Pete Beach mail ballot election separated from the elections with polling places.
In 2009, in the one city that conducted an all vote-by-mail election, turnout was three times higher than turnout throughout the rest of the county. In 2010, turnout in St. Pete Beach’s municipal election, which was conducted by mail, was double what turnout was throughout the rest of county.
And what about turnout in the rest of the cities? In 2009 and 2010, more than 66% of the few voters who did cast a ballot did so by mail.
Here is the turnout information with the St. Pete Beach all-mail election separated from the elections with polling places:
St. Pete Beach (all mail ballot election)
Turnout: 34.45%
100% voted by mail
12 municipalities with polling places:
Turnout: 17.88%
66.7% voted by mail
For the March 10, 2009 Municipal Elections:
Oldsmar annexation (all-mail ballot election)
Turnout: 66%
100% voted by mail
10 municipalities with polling places:
Turnout: 22%
66% voted by mail
