As three candidates vie for the two open seats on the New Port Richey City Council, voters are lukewarm about casting ballots.

According to Brian E. Corley, Pasco County’s supervisor of elections, the turnout today so far is “moderate to light.”

Corley is using his Twitter account to update voters about today’s election.

“@NewPortRPatch Thx for relaying info re: NPR Municipal Election-moderate to light turnout so far! # Freedom Isn't free! #PascoVotes,” he wrote in a Tweet.

Eric Rhodes, Bill Phillips and Judy DeBella Thomas are facing off in today’s election. Each hopes to pick up one of the two open seats on the council.

Today’s election is open to all 8,953 registered voters in the city. Voting is nonpartisan and the polls remain open until 7 p.m. with results to follow shortly thereafter.

According to the elections office's website, with two hours before voting ends, about 5.12 percent, or about 458 of the city's registered voters had turned out as of 5 p.m.

City elections are important, Corley said in a previous interview.

“These municipal elections probably have more of an impact on citizens than other elections,” Corley said.

Voting for the city election is held at the Recreation Center rather than at the city’s eight precincts to save money on staffing and other costs for city taxpayers who pick up the bill for municipal elections, Corley said.

The elections office will post current voter turn-out numbers from the city voting on its website updated roughly every hour during the day. Final results will be available at the site after 7 p.m.