ORANGE COUNTY – In the last two decades Orange County’s population has grown from just over 900,000 residents to almost 1.5 million. As the total population has grown, so has the number of voters, with 805,291 registered voters in Orange County: 5th most in the state.
The tremendous growth in both population and voting population has created the need to expand access for voters on election day when local precincts play a critical role in ensuring voters have a convenient location to cast their vote.
For years, the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office has been proud to partner with Orange County Public Schools, leveraging its schools across the county to help meet the needs of voters.
“We strive to ensure the safety of students and staff while providing a secure, accessible polling place,” said OCPS Chief Communications Officer Scott Howat.
This year, two new schools will be added to the list of election day polling locations with MetroWest Elementary School (1801 Lake Vilma Dr, Orlando, FL 32835) and Clay Springs Elementary School (555 N Wekiwa Springs Rd, Apopka, FL 32712) joining 20 other schools spread out across the county.
“It would be impossible to conduct an election in a county growing as fast as we are without amazing partnerships. Our collaboration with OCPS allows us to leverage its widespread resources to ensure every voter has the most accessible location on election day,” said Orange County Elections Coordinator Tatiana Torres.
“We are constantly looking for ways to make it easier for voters, from vote-by-mail to early voting to local precincts. Having OCPS as a partner helps achieve this goal, especially in parts of the county where population growth has accelerated,” said Orange County Supervisor of Elections Glen Gilzean.