Your quarterly news & updates from the Supervisor of Elections Office |
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From Supervisor Chambless
“Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. 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
We get the representation that we elect.
In Clay County for the upcoming 2022 primary, we’ll hope for and get excited for an 80%+ turnout. We will have 8 days of Early voting for 9 hours a day, at 7 locations across the county when it’s convenient to your schedule, no excuse voting by mail in the comfort of your own home, and 12 hours on Election Day. But even with that potential turnout, what about the approximately 32,000 voters who weren’t engaged enough to play an active role by casting a ballot?
This abysmal fact is even more insulting when you add into the equation the ability to cure your signature, if your vote by mail ballot is rejected due to lack of or a signature that doesn’t match what’s on file. We also offer the ability to vote provisionally if a voter’s eligibility is being called into question.
Furthermore, with the access to candidate or election information online or at a public library, it’s hard to not be an informed voter if one has the desire. When reviewing the options available to all voters, I don’t think voter access is the problem.
At no other time in history has voter registration been more convenient and available. In addition to registering at our office, a Clay county citizen can register to vote online at clayelections.gov or registertovoteflorida.gov, any library, while obtaining or renewing your Florida driver license, any public assistance office, any post office, as a 16+ year old high school student, or any elections office outreach event. Considering the myriad of options available, access to voter registration doesn’t appear to be the problem.
Florida is very accommodating when it come to the types of identification necessary to validate your voter eligibility. In addition to a Florida driver license or identification card issued by Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Florida accepts;
- United States passport
- Debit or credit card
- Military identification
- Student identification
- Retirement center identification
- Neighborhood association identification
- Public assistance identification
- Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
- License to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06
- Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality.
If your photo ID does not include your signature, you will be asked to provide another ID that has your signature.
If you do not bring proper ID, you can still vote a provisional ballot.
As long as you are eligible and voted in the proper precinct, your provisional ballot will count provided the signature on your provisional ballot matches the signature in your registration record.
Access to proper identification is not the problem.
Florida Supervisors of Elections have lobbied for many positive legislative changes and Florida legislators have passed many of these recommendations which have resulted in some of the best election laws in the country, but at the end of the day it will take all of us to combat the problem of voter apathy.
Sometimes we have to be honest, maybe it’s not them but we the people. Remember good government never goes out of style.
Chris
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Redistricting Updates
Following each U.S. Census, the Legislature redraws the districts from which Florida voters elect their representatives to adjust for growth throughout the state. These districts determine which voters participate in which elections and are required to be as equal in population as possible.
The 2020 Census showed that Clay County’s population grew by 27,000 people. The Board of County Commissioners and the School Board passed bills creating one map aligning the districts to help simplify things for voters. View the BCC and School Board map here.
The Florida Constitution directs the Legislature to redraw district boundaries during its Regular Session following the Census, which began on January 11, 2022. The Legislature held interim committee meetings to draft plans and receive feedback from members and the public regarding the redistricting process. On February 3, 2022, the Florida Legislature passed CS/SJR 100, containing state house (H000H8013) and state senate (S027S8058) districts, and are now awaiting review from the state Supreme Court.
Lawmakers are trying to finalize a congressional plan before the scheduled March 11 close of the 2022 legislative session. Because Florida gains a congressional district this year, from 27 to 28, it must have a new congressional map by the time candidate qualifying begins in June.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the U.S. Census Bureau’s delivery of the data, Florida is still within its required timeframe to complete the redistricting process, including opportunities for public discussion and debate in each of the legislative chambers. Below is a flowchart of the Florida Redistricting Process. As always, we'll be sure to update our voters about any changes as soon as the information is available.
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Behind-the-Scenes with the SOE |
With the next election season approaching, it’s more important than ever to establish Clay County Elections Office as the source for verified election information.
The best way to combat misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information is transparency and education. What better way to do that than by inviting our community into the Elections Office to learn directly from our staff?
Our goal was to help voters gain knowledge in a way that was interactive, and left them feeling more confident in the voting process overall. Enter Clay County’s Elections Expo, a behind-the-scenes look into the world of elections.
Taking guests step-by-step from Voter Registration to Pre-Election Testing, to Voting by Mail, to our Precinct SOE, to our Q&A session, allowed them to clearly see the checks and balances in place to keep their votes safe. By making ourselves and our office accessible, we hope to build upon our commitment to transparency and encourage our voters to come directly to the source if they have questions.
The Elections Expo was a high-level overview, but guests came away with firsthand knowledge, and more specifically, felt more at ease with the elections process. Educating our voters and encouraging their questions is one of the first steps in fighting against misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information.
Security, accuracy, transparency, and integrity are not just buzzwords in our office. They are what we strive to deliver, not just every election, but in every day, and every interaction. Our objective is to create advocates, not only for Clay County Elections Office, but for the Florida elections process overall.
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Upcoming 2022 Election Dates
Municipal Super Tuesday- April 12, 2022
Last day to register to vote is March 14, 2022
Primary Election- August 23, 2022
Last day to register to vote is July 25, 2022
General Election- November 8, 2022
Last day to register to vote is October 11, 2022
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Unsure if you're eligible to cast a ballot in the upcoming elections? Visit us
online to see!
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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 even do it online! Or pick up a paper registration form at any public library, Tax Collector's offices, or our office in Green Cove Springs.
We encourage all voters to check their status and make any changes or updates prior to voting.
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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)
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Practice Makes Perfect Labs |
Our Election Worker Coordinator, Stacey Whitehead held Practice Makes Perfect labs for returning Election Workers.
Practice Makes Perfect labs give our Election Workers the chance to refresh themselves on procedures and to learn more about the equipment.
As we approach election season, Stacey will have more opportunities for Election Workers to participate. Keep an eye out for information in the upcoming months!
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Once again, the Florida Supervisors of Elections (FSE) will award four $1,200 scholarships to college students for 2022. All local qualified students are urged to apply. The deadline is March 11, 2022.
Applicants must be registered Florida voters and live in the state for at least the preceding two years. Applicants must be either a Political Science, Public Administration, Business Administration, or Journalism/Mass Communication major and be at least a junior in college. Students must be enrolled or accepted as a full-time student in a senior college or university in Florida and have at least a “C” average or above for the previous year.
Applications must be submitted to the elections office of the county in which the applicant is registered to vote. Each county will select one finalist to send to the FSE Scholarship Committee for consideration.
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I Voted Sticker Contest
The "I Voted" sticker has become an icon of modern day voting. It serves as a symbol for those who've done their civic duty- and encouragement for others to do the same. The goal of the "I Voted" Sticker Design Contest was to engage high school students in the voting process, as they are the next generation of voters.
Clay County students in 9-12 grades were asked to submit their artwork to create a unique "I Voted" Sticker for the 2022 election season.
The Elections Office is pleased to announce the winner is Gracie McCann of Ridgeview High School. McCann said she wanted her design to be “simplistic yet meaningful” and to “create a powerful and positive mindset. I believe that voting is something that should be taken seriously... As citizens, our interests and beliefs are very important and should be respectfully supported by our political leaders.”
Gracie’s design will be handed out during the upcoming Primary and General Elections. She also received several prizes from our local community partners including Vystar Credit Union, Gordon Chevrolet, and Clay Today. Thank you to the students who participated, and to the local businesses who donated prizes.
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The 5th Annual Clay County Day took place on February 17 at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee.
There are exhibits from each Constitutional Officer, the Board of County Commissioners, Clay County School District, Clay County Tourism, the municipalities, Clay Chamber of Commerce, and a variety of local businesses.
The Elections Office used this year to highlight the long military history in Clay County and to provide some information on our Vote in Honor of a Veteran program. We also made fresh popcorn throughout the day to hand out to visitors to our table. Needless to say, we stayed pretty busy!
Every Clay Day begins the evening before with a Legislative Reception held at the Professional Firefighters Building. There' s also a Legislative Briefing done in the morning. This year it was held in the Historic Capitol and we heard from Senator Bradley, Senator Garrison, and Secretary of State Laurel Lee.
Clay Day gives us a chance to show the history, industry, education of our county and everything that makes Clay a wonderful place to call home.
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The Florida Supervisors of Elections Annual Winter Conference took place in early December in Jensen Beach, Florida.
This conference allows Florida Supervisors and their staff to exchange ideas and election information to learn how to better serve voters. The time is filled with opportunities for collaboration, updates on legislation, and educational presentations and discussions.
Conference is also a time to honor those who we've lost. Supervisor Chambless gave a eulogy honoring Highlands County Supervisor of Elections Penny Ogg, who passed away in September. She began working as a Poll Worker Trainer at the Highlands County Supervisor of Elections in 2004 and had served as Supervisor since being elected in 2012. Ogg was remembered for her dedication to fair and honest elections, and her love for her family and her community.
The Winter Conference is a great time for fellowship and reflection as we head into another busy election year. We appreciate the chance to discover and be inspired by new ideas, to grow as election professionals, and to continue to improve the voting experience for 2022 and beyond.
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On February 1, Florida Supervisors of Elections (FSE) met with Legislators at the Florida Capitol for FSE Legislative Day to discuss proposed election-related legislation for 2022.
We appreciate the opportunity to work together and serve as the trusted sources of election information.
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Happy Anniversary
Holly............15 years*
Marti..............8 years*
Rick...............3 years
Phyllis...........3 years
Kayla.............2 years
*Denotes full-time employment
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Happy Birthday
Kemie...............12/14
Stacey................1/05
Heather..............1/14
Kayla..................2/21
Phyllis................2/28
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