Longboat voters turn out at polls but not satisfied with candidates

Pride and responsibility were evident among voters casting ballots on Longboat Key on Tuesday, along with a little disappointment in the candidates.

Edie Winston proudly displayed her “I Voted” sticker as she walked out of Longboat Key Town Hall.

“I have never missed an election,” said Winston, 90. “It is an honor and a privilege to be able to vote.”

Winston was one of 2,500 Longboat voters participating in Tuesday's primaries. In addition to county commission and school board races in Manatee and Sarasota counties, a wide range of other local, statewide and federal races were on the party-specific ballot. When the Sarasota-side precinct opened at 7 a.m. at Town Hall, several people were waiting in line. 

Town voters will have an opportunity for municipal elections next spring.

Winston, a 25-year resident of the island, said she was disappointed in what the candidates had to say about the issues. She also said the candidates were not forthcoming enough about how they would fix problems, and added no one stood out.

“None of them had that spark,” said Winston,  a Long Island native and former health care worker. “You want that in a candidate. You can always tell when the artificial comes through. Voting is what makes this country unique.

"Age doesn’t make you any less savvy.”

Bonnie and Richard Nulf, who live on the Sarasota County side of Longboat Key, said they were not particularly impressed by the latest round of office seekers. The Nulfs said the important issues were simply not discussed enough to satisfy them.

“I found myself doing my own research,” Bonnie said. “I wasn’t informed enough.”

But her husband said it’s important to vote.

“It’s your right as an American,” he said.

Nancy Mueller, who moved to Longboat from Michigan, said she tired of the endless rounds of telephone calls from candidates.

“I always vote,” she said. “It’s my duty as an American. I have never missed voting in an election.”

At Longboat Island Chapel, where Manatee County residents cast their ballots, traffic was relatively slow, said Jinny Johnson and Jackie Salvino, who were greeting voters as they arrived.

Neither Johnson and Salvino could say why voter turnout appeared to be higher on the Sarasota side, but, they said it could be because the larger condominium buildings are on the southern end of the island.

“Either way, it’s important to get the best candidates into office,” Johnson said.