MIAMI (WSVN) - Voters are heading to the polls Tuesday to voice their choice for the 2018 primary elections.
As polls opened at 7 a.m., some voters wasted no time to cast their ballot.
“I figured if I got here early, I would beat all the crowds and I did,” said voter Stan Johnson. “[I’m] the only one here.”
Some business owners gave their employees the day off to go and vote.
“I actually have an accounting and business office we closed today, and we allowed every employee to go and volunteer for their favorite candidate because we believe that this is very important for our country,” said voter David Hernandez.
Among the positions up for election this year is the Florida governorship, which a host of candidates are looking to win.
Some of the candidates, including former Miami Beach mayor Philip Levine and Gwen Graham, made South Florida stops.
“Now’s the time to come out and vote because who we put on the field is the person that’s actually going to be going up against the White House. That’s how important this race is,” Levine said.
Graham made a stop at Cafe Versailles, where she served coffee to voters. Graham leads the democratic polls, but she said she is not taking anything for granted.
“This election is the most important election in Florida’s history because of all the issues,” she said. “We need to have a governor that’s willing to do what’s right for the people of Florida. I’m encouraging people, if you haven’t voted already, get out and vote. It’s very important, and I’m looking forward to celebrating tonight.”
A last minute push also came from Republican candidate Ron DeSantis.
“You’ll know I’m going to be a leader for Florida. I’m going to be willing to take the political road less traveled,” he said.
Jeff Greene also met with his supporters in Fontainebleau. Green trails Graham in the polls, but he is still optimistic he can pull a win.
“We’ve got a ground game that I think is unmatched, and I think that could make the difference and surprise everyone,” Greene said. “We’ve identified almost 400,000 people who said they were inclined to vote for us. We’ve been focused on getting those people to come to the polls.”
Democratic candidate Andrew Gillum is also optimistic and hoping for a win.
“We’re going to continue all the way until election day. We’re not gonna let any vote escape us,” Gillum said. “This is going to be a transformational day, not only for us and our family but for the State of Florida.”
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam is also working to gain voters in Tampa.
“At the end of the day, this is still a people business,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s still about one family talking to another. Today’s a choice between the Washington way and putting Florida first. My campaign was built on putting Florida first.”
Polls will close at 7 p.m. However, anyone in line at a polling location by 7 p.m. will still have the opportunity to vote.
For more information on voting, click here.
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