ORLANDO, Fla. – As Florida voters head to the polls on Election Day, nearly 40 percent of eligible voters have already cast a ballot during early and absentee voting.
On Monday, a steady stream of voters returned absentee ballots at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office
Voters can return absentee ballots at the Supervisor's Office until 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Luis Rodriguez, 18, said he felt proud and happy to vote for the first time. He snapped a picture of himself dropping off his absentee ballot to share on Facebook.
"You know there's not a lot of people that can say they voted when they were 18, so I'm really happy about that and I'm proud about the fact that I was able to vote," said Rodriguez.
Despite waiting in a long line on Monday, Rodriguez is also happy to avoid what could be even longer lines on Tuesday.
"Today it was really bad, I can only imagine tomorrow," said Rodriguez.
Orange County Supervisor of Elections, Bill Cowles, says it's hard to predict how long the lines will be on Election Day, but there are some things you can do to avoid a long wait time, including avoiding the rush before and after work.
"The best thing to do is to go to your polling place mid-morning or mid-afternoon in between those heavier periods of time," said Cowles.
Jarrett Randazzo and his wife voted absentee on Monday, after being turned off by a three hour wait time this weekend.
"This is all new to us. We moved from northern Virginia and I'm originally from New Jersey and it was a lot easier to (vote) in both of those states," said Randazzo.
Before voting on Election Day, officials advise people to check their sample ballot to find out their proper polling place. In Orange County alone, there are 227 precincts. The ballot is lengthy, so officials also suggest voters fill out their sample ballots before going to the polls.
The weather is forecast to rain on Tuesday, which could deter some voters and reduce the wait times at some precincts. However, any voter standing in line by the time the polls close at 7 p.m. Tuesday night, will be allowed to cast a ballot.