Election |

Orange elections chief adds early voting sites in Eatonville, west Orlando

Orange County elections chief Glen Gilzean is adding early voting sites in Eatonville and west Orlando, part of a push to expand access to the ballot box in Black communities and address what he called “voting deserts.”

Gilzean announced the new locations on Juneteenth, which celebrates the ending of slavery in the United States in 1865.

“The story of Juneteenth demonstrates the principle of freedom and liberties, which starts with the ballot box,” said Gilzean, Orange County’s first Black supervisor of elections, at a Wednesday news conference.

The new sites will be at Eatonville Town Hall and a wellness center near Camping World Stadium.

In total, Orange County will have 22 early voting sites for the Aug. 20 primary election and the Nov. 5 general election.

The new locations will help to address “voting deserts” in Orange County, Gilzean said, or communities that don’t have easy access to an early voting site.

Eatonville Mayor Angie Gardner praised the new location in her town, saying many residents will now be able to walk to the polls rather than needing to find a ride. In the past, the closest early-voting location was at Fairview Shores Library, about two miles from the town hall.

Eatonville is one of the oldest Black-incorporated towns in the country.

“By recognizing the town as a site for early voting, it says that we see you,” Gardner said.

Mark Shamley, vice president of community impact for Lift Orlando, also applauded the expanded voting opportunities. Early voting will be at Lift Orlando’s Heart of West Lakes Wellness Center.

“It allows us to amplify the voices of our residents,” said Shamley, whose nonprofit organization supports five historically Black neighborhoods near the stadium.

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Gilzean to the election post in March to fill a vacancy created by longtime Democratic election supervisor Bill Cowles’ retirement.

Last week, Gilzean said he will not seek election. His term will run through January.

His appointment sparked concerns from Democrats that he would inject partisanship into the office.

But Samuel Vilchez Santiago, the Orange County Democratic chair, said Wednesday he was pleased with early voting hours and the new voting sites, an idea that he said predated Gilzean’s appointment.

“It makes it more accessible for people to come and vote,” he said.

Vilchez Santiago said, however, he has had concerns about other issues, such as the deadline to place questions on the ballot and transparency regarding candidate petitions to qualify for the ballot.

Gilzean announced last week that commissioners must submit ballot language to him by Aug. 27. That’s a sharp turnabout from what one county commissioner says Gilzean told her earlier this month: that the deadline was June 14.

That early deadline spurred worries from advocates that voters would not be able to weigh in on proposed rural growth controls.

Four Democrats and one independent are running for the elections job.