Fall 2022

Your quarterly news & updates from the Supervisor of Elections Office

From Supervisor Chambless

“Elections belong to the people... If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters."

― Abraham Lincoln

These last few months have been jam-packed to say the least! As we’re wrapping up another election season, it’s nice to finally have a chance to relax and reflect on this past year.

We completed another successful election season with the certification of the November 8 General. We had a 55.22% turnout which is about average for a gubernatorial election. The charts below recap some of the numbers from the General.

As soon as results are certified, most people move on and stop paying attention to anything elections related. Obviously, that’s not the case if you work in the elections industry. While off-season years may not be as busy, the workload is still significant.

We pride ourselves on our reputation for delivering safe, secure, accurate, and timely elections. A big part of that is the work we do in non-election years. There are changes in laws to implement, procedures to review and update, training, equipment to be cleaned and maintenance to be done, and so much more.

In the Elections Office we work hard, but we also take time to have fun and enjoy ourselves. We held our annual office Christmas party. It was a much-needed break to laugh and share life updates! We celebrated the retirement of Elections Services Clerk Rick Percival and Canvassing Board member Judge Timothy Collins. We’re sad to see them go but wish them both the best in their future endeavors.

After an intense buildup to the General Election, we’re looking forward to the upcoming holidays. Even as we take some time to relax, we’ll be looking ahead to what tasks must be done and where we can improve. The off-season is critical to the success of the next election year. So, while you may not hear much about us in 2023, rest assured we’re hard at work!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,

Chris

General Election Recap

2022 General Election Turnout

Tuesday, November 8 was General Election Day! 90,290 ballots were cast in total, giving Clay County an overall turnout of 55.22%.

While the highest number of voters, 36,831, turned out on Election Day, 59.22% of the vote actually took place before then. Early Voting was the second most popular way to vote- beating out Vote by Mail by 9,844 ballots!

With seven locations throughout the county and 9 days to vote, including Saturday and Sunday, it's no wonder Early Voting's become so popular! Fleming Island Library continues to be the busiest Early Voting site with 8,577 voters during the General Election.

Your signature is used to verify your identity for a Vote by Mail ballot. Our staff attends a forensic handwriting course prior to the start of election season. When a mail ballot is returned to our office, we immediately compare the signature on the envelope to the one in the voter's record. At least two staff members must agree that a signature does NOT match. Voters who have signature mismatches, or who didn't sign the envelope at all, are then contacted by mail, by phone, and by email to give them the opportunity to cure their signature. Voters have until 5 PM on the second day after Election Day to cure it.

Behind the Scenes of Election Day

Many people don't realize just how much work goes into holding an election. Planning begins months, if not years, in advance. Our Election Services Team stays busy! There's equipment to clean, upgrade or replace. It's tested, tweaked, and tested again. Thousands of ballots are tested leading up to the election. Every piece of equipment is certified, sealed and securely stored until it is deployed for the Election.

Setting up Early Voting sites and precincts requires some logistical wrangling! We have to figure out what machines need to go where and how to get it there. Luckily, we get help from the County workers when it comes to setting up our precincts. All the supplies are stocked, sorted, and meticulously labeled.

Our Voter Services staff handles a steady stream of phone calls and visitors to our front counter. In between, they return Vote by Mail ballots, help answer questions from our Election Workers, process address changes and other updates, and so much more!

During Election season it's all hands on deck! Our normal staff of 15 full-time and part-time employees are joined by temporary staff members and over 300 Election Workers. Even then, we rely on a large group of awesome volunteers to help answer phones, open Vote by Mail ballots, and to assist in the Duplication process.

Our volunteers are from other County offices, past Election Workers, community organizations, and from those who may just be interested in learning more about elections procedures and safeguards. We're grateful for the number of people willing to lend a hand on Election Day to ensure a fair and secure election!

By far the hardest working volunteer was Edison! He made sure to greet all the other volunteers and our staff and kept a watchful eye on the office...when he wasn't napping of course.

Election Day is a lonnnnnggggg day! It's great to see so many smiles after the polls are closed! Our Election Workers are the best. Here they are returning the ballots and equipment at the end of the night.

The Canvassing Board certified the results of the General Election and conducted the Post-Election Audit. The public audit was completed with 100% accuracy, verifying the machine count and human count matched exactly.

Clear Audit

Did you know that Florida statute requires us to conduct an audit after every election? For the 2022 election season, we conducted a pilot program that ran in parallel to gain experience using an innovative tool. Clear Audit is an independent auditing system. In future elections, Clear Audit will tabulate and verify the election tabulation system’s ballots to verify the results and add another layer of transparency to our process.

Pictured below, Supervisor Chambless, Jill and Leslie scan ballots from the General Election into Clear Ballot. This new technology is exciting, and we see it as one more weapon against the vast amount of misinformation that continues to surround elections. Remember to go straight to the source, ClayElections.gov, for verified election information.

Watch the video below to learn more.

ELECTION WORKERS

Thank You!

There's no doubt that a major part of our success is our Election Workers! Working at the polls is a great way to serve your community and to learn more about the elections process. It's a long, but extremely rewarding day. Thank you for your dedication, professionalism, and for continuing to serve the voters of Clay County.

Become an Election Worker.

Upcoming Election Info

Municipal Super Tuesday

MST Election Day is Tuesday, April 11, 2023. Polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM.

The last day to register to vote for the MST is Monday, March 13, 2023.

Need to Register to Vote?

If you're new to Florida, or have never been registered to vote, now's the time!

Registering to vote only takes a few minutes. You can do it online or pick up a paper registration form at any public library, Tax Collector's office, or our office in Green Cove Springs.

We encourage all voters to check their status and make any changes or updates prior to voting.

Vote by Mail

Due to a change in voting laws, all Vote by Mail requests made before the General Election expire at the end of this month. So, if you wish to continue to Vote by Mail, or would like to request one, you'll need to call or visit ClayElections.gov to make a new request.

Voting by Mail continues to grow in popularity. It's not hard to realize why. Vote by Mail ballots allow you time to research the races and amendments- and vote from the comfort of your couch!

Order a Vote by Mail ballot here.

Update Your Signature

Handwriting changes over time. If you have noticed a change in your handwriting, and particularly your signature, please update your signature with the Elections Office. It's important that we have your current signature on file because it's used to verify your Vote by Mail ballot and/or candidate and initiative petitions. If your signature has changed, you may update it at any time by submitting a new Voter Registration Application.

Signature updates can be made at any time but must be received before Vote by Mail ballots are canvassed in order to be accepted for an election. (F.S. 98.077)

How to update your signature.

OUTREACH

2023 FSE Scholarship

The Florida Supervisors of Elections Association will offer four $1,200 scholarships in 2023 to college students majoring in Political Science, Public or Business Administration, or Journalism/Mass Communications.

This scholarship is open to Clay County registered voters who have been enrolled or accepted in a Florida college or university as a full-time student and are at least a junior. To be eligible, the student must maintain a “C” average or above and have been a resident of Florida for the previous two years.

The deadline to apply for a scholarship is March 10, 2023. Applications are available at the link below.

Scholarship application and guidelines

Clay Chamber Lunch & Learn

Supervisor Chambless spoke at the Clay Chamber's Lunch & Learn about the 3 Ps: Plan, Prepare, Participate.

The audience learned about some of the voting history of Clay County and the trends being seen lately.

Supervisor Chambless spent time answering questions and encouraging all voters to review their voter information and their Sample Ballot ahead of election season. He also reminded everyone about the three ways to vote in Clay County and provided the import dates and information for each one.

Fall Festival

The Town of Orange Park’s Fall Festival is always a great event! It's become one that we look forward to all year long.

Tons of people came out to enjoy the beautiful weather and festive atmosphere. There were food trucks, local vendors, entertainment, and, of course, the Supervisor of Elections Office!

Our volunteers helped new residents get registered to vote and current voters were able to update their names, addresses, party affiliation, and signatures. They also answered questions and passed out election information.

Farm-City Luncheon

During Thanksgiving week, several members of our office attended the 50th Annual

Farm-City Luncheon celebrating the farmers and ranchers, packers and shippers, scientists, truckers, retailers and others who play a vital role in bringing healthy food to our tables every day.

We often forget how fortunate we are to live in a place where nutritious food is so abundant and just how many people play a role in that process.

Supervisor Chambless delivered the invocation before we enjoyed a delicious meal and fellowship with many of our peers across Clay County.

Around the Office

Rick Retires

After the November General Election, we celebrated Rick's retirement. He started as an Assistant Clerk in the 2014 Primary, then worked as a Clerk in multiple elections, until joining our office in January 2019 as an Election Services Clerk.

We'll miss his sense of humor and willingness to help out with any task (though he'll never admit to actually working). Thank you for all you do, and for keeping us laughing through it all! Happy Retirement Rick!

Judge Collins Retires

In November, Supervisor Chambless spoke at the Clay Bar Association luncheon. He and Judge Timothy Collins gave a presentation on the duties and the importance of the Canvassing Board in the elections process.

The Canvassing Board is made up of the Supervisor of Elections, County Judge, and County Commissioner who represent the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government.

Judge Collins has served as the Clay County Canvassing Board Chairman since 2006, but the 2022 election season was his last. Supervisor Chambless, along with Elections Services Manager Holly DePaul and Voter Services Manager Kemie Mahan, presented Judge Collins with a token of our appreciation.

Judge Collins has been one of our biggest advocates, both for our office and the elections process itself. He has led with integrity, and his dedication to the voters of Clay County is evident to all.

Thank you for your years of service, your tireless recruitment of volunteers and Election Workers, and for your friendship and commitment to our office. We wish you the best in the future!

Fun fact: this beautiful plaque is mounted on one of the 40 lbs. weights used to flatten Vote by Mail ballots, so they're easier to run through the tabulators. Thankfully, we've upgraded to our ballot press and no longer have to haul these around.

2022 FSE Winter Conference

During the first week of December, Supervisor Chambless and Kemie attended the Annual Mid-Winter Conference hosted by Volusia County Supervisor of Elections Office.

Elections administration never ends, but these conferences are a wonderful opportunity to share ideas and best practices.

Secretary of State Cord Byrd also spoke to everyone to thank them for continuing to ensure that Florida is the Gold Standard in Election Administration and to talk about next steps for moving forward.

J.P. Hall Charities Toy Drive

The Elections Office was a drop-off location for this year's J.P. Hall Charities toy drive. We collected new, unwrapped toys to donate for the Charities' 41st Annual Christmas Party.

The J.P. Hall Children's Charities is a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for the underprivileged children of Clay County, Florida.

The Charities was founded in the late 1970’s by J. P. Hall, Jr., who incorporated the Charities in 1981 and named it in honor of his father, John P. Hall, Sr., who served as Sheriff of Clay County from 1928 until 1965 and was known for helping children in Clay County.

SOE Christmas Party

Our Elections Services Team planned an amazing office Christmas party this year! We ate yummy brunch food, played some hilarious games, and just enjoyed the chance to catch up with one another.