Fewer than 20 percent of registered voters cast ballots in Lake, Marion and Sumter counties in Tuesday’s primary election.
Sumter County had the highest percentage turnout with 14,986 voters or 18.4 percent of the county’s 81,337 registered voters. Marion County’s voter turnout was 16.5 percent or 35,729 of 216,391 registered voters. In Lake County, 17.1 percent or 35,152 of 205,536 registered voters went to the polls.
A contested race for governor on the Democratic ballot between Charlie Crist and Nan Rich did not seem to attract more Democratic voters. Incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Scott also faced two minor candidates.
In Lake County, 23.5 of 89,428 registered Republicans voted in the governor’s race compared to 16 percent of 67,616 registered Democrats. In Marion County, 21.9 percent of 92,266 registered Republicans and 14.9 of 77,528 registered Democrats voted in those contests.
In Sumter County, about 49 percent of total voters cast ballots in the Republican governor primary while about 16 percent voted in the Democratic governor primary. About 5,100 Sumter County voters were either non-partisan or did not cast a vote for governor.
About a third of Sumter County’s voters, including 3,795 Republicans and 1,086 Democrats, took advantage of early voting.
Sumter County Supervisor of Elections Karen Krauss said the turnout was “about typical” for a primary election.
A larger percentage of voters always comes out in general elections, but Krauss said she could not predict what will happen in November because of the governor’s race and medical marijuana referendum.
“It’d be kind of tough to call that one,” she said. The general election is Nov. 4.