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Today’s election to choose a new governor is considered a toss-up and could be driving a higher than usual turnout. 1994 set the record for turnout…66 percent, in a non presidential election in Florida. In addition to high turnout, 2010 could be the year of the first recount since the 2000 election

Voter turnout steady throughout the day.  Evelyn Spradley says casting her ballot this election was as important as ever. “Every election is important to me.” Why, she was asked. “It’s because I feel I have a say in how our government is run. City State, National.”

Most pollsters agree that the tight Governor’s race,Coupled with millions in negative ads will make for a close election. Perhaps close enough to trigger a recount. Based on likely turnout, the Governor’s race will have to be closer than thirty or forth thousand votes to trigger a recount.

A lot has changed since scenes of poll workers looking at punch cards dominated television in the 2000 election aftermath. Florida outlawed those punch cards and later non verifiable electronic machines. Secretary of State spokesperson Jennifer Davis says the law is specific on close elections.

“What happens is that during a machine recount,” she says, “they sort sort out all the over votes and undervotes, and then for the manual they would make sure the over really did vote for more than one candidate and that the undervotes are truly an undervote and that they didn’t vote for anyone in that race.”

One difference from the debacle of 2000 and this 2010 election, is that this time, everything is working the way it is supposed to work…so far. Secretary of State Dawn Roberts told reporters at an election briefing that “I think Florida is in good shape.”

Whether the vote in any race is close enough to trigger a recount…a late night is almost certain before all results are known.