The impact of Hurricane Ian continues to ripple through Southwest Florida.

The Caloosahatchee Bridge — a main thoroughfare as well as a primary commuter route — suffered some damage from the near Category 5 storm that all but destroyed Fort Myers Beach and Matlacha and left devastating damage on Sanibel and all along the riverfront in Cape Coral, North Fort Myers, Fort Myers and more.

Florida Department of Transportation officials announced Tuesday that U.S. 41 on both sides of the bridge was closed to north and southbound traffic, which was rerouted. It made evening and morning commutes cumbersome but, after repairs to its damaged approach, the bridge was re-opened this afternoon.

Ian’s second wave also has had some less tangible — but equally critical — impacts as well.

Despite the ease of vote-by-mail ballots, despite the convenience of early voting, many of us still enjoy casting our ballots on Election Day.

It’s a tradition that has deep roots in our democratic republic and election night still holds all of its excitement for not only those running, but for all of us who watch the results as they are reported online or via broadcast media.

This year, though, Lee County voters who wait until Tuesday to vote may find more frustration than excitement.

Hurricane Ian wiped out a number of polling sites, damaged many others and left workers, like far too many Southwest Floridians, homeless or dealing with damaged homes.

The result?

Instead of the near 100 precincts Election Day voters usually enjoy, there will be only a dozen sites throughout the county, the same sites up and running now as Early Voting locations.

This should not be a surprise.

Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an Executive Order giving the Lee, Charlotte and Sarasota county Election Offices the authority to deal with the emergency-caused lack of sites and poll workers.

The Lee County Elections Office formulated a plan for the General Election that stressed vote-by-mail, extended early voting through Nov. 8 as per the executive order and then urged — strongly urged — voters to take advantage and cast their ballot early at the time and place that best worked for them.

But with Election Day now less than a week away, the number of voters who have cast their ballot by mail or at one of the early voting sites remains low.

Very low.

There are 518,035 registered voters in Lee County. As of this morning, 159,318 voted — 111,974 by mail, 47,305 via early voting. That’s about 30.75 percent.

This does not bode well for those who plan on waiting until Nov. 8 to cast a ballot in what is an important election for Lee County voters.

The lines could be long.

Very long.

Count us among those who urge voters to return vote-by-mail ballots or to vote early now through Monday.

Lee County locations are:

• Cape Coral-Lee County Public Library – 921 Southwest 39th Terrace, Cape Coral

• Lee County Elections Cape Coral Branch Office – 1039 Southeast 9th Ave.

• Northwest Regional Library – 519 Chiquita Blvd. N., Cape Coral

• North Fort Myers Recreation Center – 2000 N. Recreation Parkway

• Wa-Ke Hatchee Park Recreation Center – 16706 Bass Road, Fort Myers

• Schandler Park Suarez Hall – 419 Royal Palm Park Road, Fort Myers

• Lee County Elections Center – 13180 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers

• Fort Myers Regional Library – 1651 Lee St.

• Veterans Park Recreation Center- 55 Homestead Road S., Lehigh Acres

• East County Regional Library – 881 Gunnery Road N., Lehigh Acres

• Estero Recreation Center – 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd., Estero

• Lee County Elections Bonita Springs Branch – 25987 S. Tamiami Trail #105

Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through the weekend and Monday.

You may vote at any site where an appropriate ballot –  your ballot — will be available.

Florida law does require voters to provide picture and signature identification when voting in person so bring it with you. (A list of acceptable forms of identification may be found at www.lee.vote/Election-Information/Voting-ID-Requirements.)

If you do choose to vote on Tuesday?

That certainly is your right.

And lines be damned — as earlier stated, it is an important election and the locations above will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 8.

At the local level, Cape Coral voters will decide four Cape Coral City Council races and a city referendum that would give Council the authority to award property tax breaks to qualifying businesses that invest in the city and create jobs.

Countywide, voters will decide three School Board races and three County Commission seats as well as a controversial referendum that would change the Lee County superintendent of schools position from a School Board appointed post, by repealing a resolution approved by the voters in 1974, to an elected office. (We are among those who have urged a “No” vote on this Lee County School District referendum as it would greatly limit the pool from which the highly specialized administrative position could be selected to run a $2.4 billion enterprise with 96 campuses, 97,000 students and 13,000 employees. A “No” vote remains our recommendation.)

There also are numerous state races, including the offices of Governor, Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, Commissioner of Agriculture as well as two key federal races.

Officials do have some suggestions, though, to make Election Day voting easier for those who choose to wait:

Bring your voter-specific sample ballot with you. The Lee County Elections Office began mailing them to Lee County voters who did not request a Vote-by-Mail ballot beginning Tuesday, Nov. 1. That General Election sample ballot will contain only the contests in which you are eligible to vote.

Voters may also view, download, and print their customized sample ballot at https://www.lee.vote/ .

We urge you to vote,

And we urge you to vote early.

Make your voice heard.

–Breeze editorial

Editor’s Note: A 13th location, in Boca Grande, and was recently added for Election Day only.

That location is at the Louise Du Pont Crowninshield Community House, 240 Banyan St.