Voters Consider Candidates' 'Negative Ads' at Polls

After the lunch hour, Carrollwood and Northdale residents continued trickling to the polls at various north Tampa locations such as the on Spring Pine Drive.

About 81 of the 721 registered Republicans in that precinct had cast votes in the Florida primary by 1:30 p.m., officials said. No problems had been reported at polls in Hillsborough County, said Travis Abercrombie, spokesman for the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office.

Local voters had mixed reactions to what they called "negative ads" that were depicted on television during the campaign by the four candidates on the ballot: Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Ron Santorum.

"I haven't liked the way it's going," said Carrollwood resident Lynne Spence, as she exited the recreation center on Tuesday. "I don't like the negative ads. All they're doing is fighting."

Pamela St. John, a Northdale resident, said she noticed that there's a lot to think about in this year's primary.

"There's so much at stake in this election, for Republicans and the whole country," she said. "There's also a negativity with the TV ads, but if they didn't work, they wouldn't do them."

St. John said she thought the four remaining candidates on the ballot were all qualified.

"I liked all four of the candidates," she said. "We had very good people to select from."