Duval County early voting hours expand as turnout approaches record pace

Early voting in Duval County is entering a new phase this week, with expanded weekday hours giving voters more flexibility to cast their ballots before or after work.Polling sites are now open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. — a change from the previous week’s hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Early voting continues through Sunday, Nov. 1.Turnout nearing record territoryDuval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland says the county is on track for a strong showing at the polls.“We’ve had a good turnout. We’ve had over 80,000 people vote early, and another 26,000 by mail, so about 107,000 voters so far in Duval County,” Holland said.According to figures released by the Supervisor of Elections Office, 11,019 votes were cast during early voting on the most recent reporting date, bringing the combined total of early and vote-by-mail ballots to 107,463 — representing a 16.4% turnout of registered voters.Holland said the presence of an open gubernatorial seat is helping drive interes