Voter turnout lower than in past elections

Voter turnout in the town’s March 25 general municipal election was the lowest of any year that featured a Longboat Key Town Commission race in five years.

Just 36.29%, or 2,243, of the town’s registered voters cast ballots this year in the election that included two commission races and a referendum question about Sarasota County school funding.

The last commission race that drew a smaller percentage of voters was 2009, when Gene Jaleski defeated incumbent Randy Clair for an at-large commission seat.

(The 2011 election included two referenda questions, but no commission seats were contested; that election drew 18.68% of voters.)

This year, 1,671 voters cast ballots early or absentee — a slight increase from last year, when 1,603 voters cast ballots early or absentee.

In this year’s election, Irwin Pastor won the District 3 seat with 60.2% of the vote, while Terry Gans was elected to the at-large seat with 57.4% of the vote.

The Sarasota County school tax passed, with 76.79% of county voters voting in favor of it.

TURNOUT TRENDS
2009: Randy Clair vs. Gene Jaleski; $27 million capital improvements bond issuance
Registered voters: 6,502
Votes cast: 2,324
Turnout: 35.74%

2010: Lynn Larson vs. Lee Rothenberg; David Brenner vs. Peter O’Connor; Hal Lenobel vs. Phill Younger
Registered voters: 6,330
Votes cast: 2,970
Turnout: 46.92%

2011: Term limit referendum question; beach bond referendum
Registered voters: 6,296
Votes cast: 1,176
Turnout: 18.68%

2012: David Brenner vs. Ray Rajewski
Registered voters: 6,298
Votes cast: 2,334
Turnout: 37.06%

2013: Jim Brown vs. Larry Grossman; Terry Gans vs. Irwin Pastor; Gene Jaleski vs. Phill Younger
Registered voters: 6,263
Ballots cast: 2,509
Turnout: 40.06%

2014: Terry Gans vs. Ray Rajewski; Armando Linde vs. Irwin Pastor; Sarasota County school tax referendum
Registered voters: 6,121
Ballots cast: 2,243
Turnout: 36.29%

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected]