Saturday is last day for Longboat early voting

Voters who want to cast an early ballot in the Longboat Key election have until Saturday afternoon to visit Town Hall.

Otherwise, they’ll have to wait until March 12, when polls open at the town’s two Election Day voting sites, which will be in operation from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

On the ballot are two referendum questions:

• Shall Article II, Section 2 of the Town Charter be amended as set forth in Ordinance 2018-18 to change the Town Commission term of office from a two (2) year term to a three (3) year term, and change the Town Commission election cycle to correspond with the term of office change? Yes: for adoption; No: against adoption
• May the Town allow the property located at 5630 Gulf of Mexico Drive and comprising approximately1.82 acres, to increase density from C-1 commercial uses (which allows no density) to either R-4MX or R-4SF residential use (which allow a maximum of four (4) residential units per acre), for a maximum total of 7 residential units on the property? Yes: In favor of; No: Against

Early voting for residents in both Manatee and Sarasota counties takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road for the remainder of Friday and Saturday. Early voting opened on Monday.

On Tuesday, voting takes place at Town Hall for the town’s Sarasota County residents. Manatee County residents of the town vote Tuesday at Longboat Island Chapel, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Dr.

Thus far in early voting, nearly 1,300 votes have been cast, either by mail or in person.

In Manatee County:

            69 voters cast early voting ballots.

            351 voters (49.9% of mailed out ballots) have returned vote-by-mail ballots.

In Sarasota County (4,349 total registered voters)

            324 voters cast early voting ballots.

            553 votes (54.2% of mailed out ballots) have returned vote-by-mail ballots.