The Midterm elections were held Nov. 8, 2022. On the day of elections, I visited precinct #509 in St. Johns county, Fla. This precinct corresponds to the area within the city of St. Augustine.
Sign directing people to polling station. Precinct #509, located at 179 Marine St., Saint Augustine, Fla.
Front fountain at River House, a popular St. Augustine wedding venue where voters cast their ballot. The venue is owned and operated by the private non-profit organization, the St. Johns County Council on Aging. During the weekdays, the space is used for programming for seniors. On weekends, it is used for weddings and other events. On Nov. 8, 2022, it was used for voting.
Michelle Doherty, 22, poses with a "I voted Today!" sticker, after casting her vote. "They told me I wasn't registered here in St. Augustine...the lady was giving me passive aggressive behavior...I wasn't showing up on their system," Doherty said. After a period of time and some calls, Doherty was able to cast her vote.
Political campaign signs outside of polling station. The proposed "penny plan" of St. Johns county would help contribute $243 million for transportation infrastructure, $120 million to police, fire and rescue, $88 million for parks and $49 million for public libraries. As of Nov. 9, 2022, the proposed tax measure was rejected by 63% of voters in St. Johns county.
Sign outside of polling station indicating the appropriate distance for political campaigning literature. There cannot be any political campaigning or persuasion of voters 150 ft. of the entrance to a polling place, according to Fla. Stat. § 102.031.
Madeline Hilton, 19, holds a sample ballot before voting. She was a first time voter. "I'm happy to be voting...it's really important", Hilton said.
Political campaign signs outside of polling precinct #509. St. Johns county had a voter turnout of 59.23% Republican voters, 22.66% Democrat, 16.57% had no party affiliation, and others amounted to 1.54% of voters.