I too live in Florida
but absentee ballots everywhere run a higher risk of not being counted than ballots cast at the polls. Yes, they are read by the machines, but someone must put them through the machines and therein lies the problem. I will be working the polls in my district and will be able to vote without a problem but I have bad news for anyone who can't vote early .... The lines on election day are going to be horrendous for several reasons.
(A) Redistricting has moved many voters to new polling places and those who didn't vote in their primaries are going to show up at the wrong place....Even with the best efforts of a Democratic Supervisor of Elections here in Palm Beach County, we saw just that all day long in the August Democratic primary. They will slow down the lines while "poll inspectors" try to find them on the voter rolls. Then they will create a line at the Poll Advisers desk while the PA tries to find their new poling location.
(B) The Republican legislature has created incredibly long and confusing ballots by adding amendments, most of which have been printed in full on the ballot, and as you probably know from experience, ballot initiatives are never written clearly here in FL (Vote NO on all of them, remember they are the product of a Republican legislature) So it will take people longer to complete their ballots and create lines at the machines as each page must be inserted individually. Here in Palm Beach County the ballot is 6 pages long, in Miami-Dade it is 10 pages long.
(C) Early voting days have been cut in half which will add to the length of lines on Nov. 6th.
If you can't vote between Saturday, October 27, 2012 through Saturday, November 3, 2012 7:00 am to 7:00 pm I would suggest getting to the polls early on the morning of Nov. 6th (avoid the heat) ...wear comfortable shoes, bring something to drink and best, go with someone with whom you can converse while waiting.
Good Luck!