New Elections Office Opens Closer to Westchase

Handling voter registration matters just got closer to home for residents of Westchase and other Northwest Hillsborough County communities.

A new regional Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections office recently opened at 12022 Anderson Road.

Hillsborough County residents can register to vote, pick up and drop off vote-by-mail ballots, change names and addresses on registrations, as well as ask questions about upcoming elections at the new office.

Previously you'd have to travel to the main elections office in downtown Tampa to handle such business in person.

Hillsborough County has 383 voting precincts, making it the fifth largest county in Florida. Elections officials thought it was important to open an office closer to the growing communities of northwest Hillsborough. Another satellite office recently opened in Brandon.

"We looked at the map and population and we wanted to be in between the Jimmie B. Keel library and Upper Tampa Bay library," said Earl Lennard, Hillsborough's Supervisor of Elections.

The new regional offices are a part of a comprehensive plan to improve voter services and election efficiency.

"We think an informed electorate is a better electorate," said Travis Abercrombie, public information coordinator for the supervisor's office.

In addition to voter services, poll workers, and customer service staff will be trained at the Anderson Road office, which is just off Gunn Highway in the Publix Shopping Center.

"The whole idea is to make things more accessible for this part of the county," said Craig Latimer, the chief of staff for the supervisor of elections office. "We were extremely busy in 2008, by opening now people will get used to the fact that we're here."

The Anderson Road satellite elections office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Here's a map from Westchase to 10222 Anderson Road: http://mapq.st/oFQ25O

To find out more about voting in Hillsborough, visit the supervisor's office online.