Sumter County hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony this week to celebrate the completion of construction on its new Supervisor of Elections facility in Bushnell.
Located at 332 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, the modern, 26,773-square-foot building is designed to accommodate the county’s growing voter population and election administration needs. It will also provide secure and centralized storage for all voting equipment, eliminating the reliance on external storage containers. The facility will officially open for service in January 2026.
To provide additional support to voters, the SOE office in Wildwood will remain open and fully operational following the new facility’s opening.
“Our mission is to provide a fair, independent, and efficient voting process in Sumter County that promotes a positive election experience with integrity,” said William “Bill” Keen, Sumter County’s Supervisor of Elections. “The new facility will heavily support this mission, and it will enhance our team’s ability to streamline election operations.”
The supervisor of elections oversees all aspects of voter services in Sumter County, including registration, absentee/mail-in ballots, poll worker training, election equipment, and precinct management.
As one of the fastest-growing counties in Florida, Sumter County is expected to expand by two to four precincts each election season. With a current population of over 154,600, by 2032, growth predictions forecast as many as 60 precincts in Sumter County. This would nearly double the current number of precincts. With the extra number of precincts comes a crucial need for more resources. As many as 1,000 additional election workers will be needed to support the extra precincts adequately. Compared to the current SOE office in Wildwood, which houses nine employees, the new facility in Bushnell will provide a larger space to train more election workers, improving the County’s ability to serve a larger volume of customers.
“We’re proud to say that Sumter County has one of the highest voter turnouts in Florida. In 2024, 84 percent of people voted during the general election. Supporting our active voters is imperative, and we’re confident the new Supervisor of Elections building will provide essential support to our growing team and community,” said Traci Oliver, Sumter County’s Assistant Supervisor of Elections.
In partnership with Mark Cook Builders, Inc. and Harvard Jolly Architecture, Sumter County began the construction process in April 2024.
The new facility will serve as the Supervisor of Elections office for the Bushnell area while also functioning as a centralized storage hub and training facility. Once the facility opens for service, the former annex office on Anderson Avenue in Bushnell will transition to house other County departments within the Board of County Commissioners.
The new SOE facility will serve the community Monday – Friday, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. To learn more, visit https://elections.sumtercountyfl.gov/.