‘You’ve got to show up’: Clay County kicks off early voting with nearly 6,500 ballots cast

Clay County residents turned out in large numbers Friday for the first day of early voting in the general election, with the county supervisor of elections recording nearly 6,500 votes countywide.At the Orange Park Branch Library, one of seven early voting sites in Clay County, more than 1,200 ballots had been cast at the single location by midday. Despite the turnout, officials said the process moved quickly, with voters reporting wait times of five minutes or less.CHECK OUT THE VOTER’S GUIDE“I didn’t realize today was the first day. I thought it was tomorrow,” said David Morrissette, who cast his ballot at the library. “But when I realized it was today, here I am. Let’s get in front of it.”Morrissette said he made a point to vote as soon as he could. “I wanted to make it count on day one,” he said. “You’ve got to vote. If you don’t vote, you don’t have a say.”He added that he votes in every election. “You’ve got a responsibility as a citizen to do it,” Morrissette said. “Otherwise, y