Your quarterly news & updates from the Supervisor of Elections Office |
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From Supervisor Chambless
“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
John Adams
On January 5, I was sworn into my fourth term as Supervisor of Elections. It is an honor and a privilege to serve the voters of Clay County. Elections, and politics in general, are always filled with emotion, no matter what side you're on. This was clearly demonstrated throughout the 2020 Election Cycle. But, while voters and candidates may be emotional, the actual running of an election is not. The result we're most passionate about is a fair, transparent, and secure election.
This is why we spend "off" years reviewing our notes and procedures. Where can we improve? What can we do to be more efficient? How do we battle the increasing amount of incorrect information aimed at undermining voter confidence?
We do our best to keep voters informed about election dates or changes, through traditional media, such as radio and print, and social media platforms. Though social media is an amazing tool for sharing information, it also makes it easier than ever to spread misinformation- intentionally and unintentionally. So many "news" articles are shared that contain mistakes, misinformation, and falsehoods. This rhetoric is then perpetuated by millions of voters “re-tweeting,” “sharing” or “liking” these posts. The swiftness with which these articles are shared, make it nearly impossible to combat the spread of misinformation.
It takes time to research and vet the information and the sources they originally come from. It's much simpler to take it at face value, but we urge every voter to do their research and to go to the reliable source for election information in your state- your local Supervisor of Elections Office! Please remember that we are here to answer any questions you may have. We're always happy to explain the processes and safeguards in place to ensure an accurate election. It may take a few extra minutes, but you can be sure that you have the correct information directly from the source.
As we prepare for the upcoming Municipal Super Tuesday Election, we're already looking to the 2022 Election Season. I ask that you help me continue Clay County's tradition of secure and accurate elections, by committing to sharing only verified information from trustworthy sources. If you're ever in doubt, I encourage you to call or email our office before you hit "share."
Chris
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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 absentee ballots are canvassed in order to be accepted for an election. (F.S. 98.077)
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The Florida Supervisors of Elections (FSE) will be awarding three $1,200 scholarships to students majoring in Political Science, Public or Business Administration, or Journalism/Mass Communication.
All eligible students are encouraged to apply. 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 have finished two years of junior college or undergraduate work.
The full scholarship guidelines and application are available through the link below. All completed FSE scholarship applications must be submitted by March 26, 2021 to the Elections Office.
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Municipal Super Tuesday Information |
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Municipal Super Tuesday Election
April 13, 2021
7 AM - 7 PM
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The City of Keystone Heights and the Town of Orange Park will both hold Municipal Super Tuesday (MST) Elections this year.
No Early Voting will be held this election. Eligible voters must Vote by Mail or vote in person on Election Day.
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If you're new to Florida, or have never been registered to vote, the registration deadline for the Municipal Super Tuesday Election is Monday, March 15.
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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Vote on Election Day
Vote in person on Tuesday, April 13 from 7 AM to 7 PM. Keystone Heights residents must vote at Keystone Heights City Hall and Orange Park residents must vote at Orange Park Town Hall.
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Keystone Heights City Hall
555 S. Lawrence Blvd.
Keystone Heights, FL 32656
City Council Seat 3
Deirdre Murphy
Bobby Brown
City Council Seat 5
Stephen Hart
Robin Beaton
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Orange Park Town Hall
2042 Park Ave.
Orange Park, FL 32073
Town Council Seat 3
John Hauber
Roland Mastandrea
Town Council Seat 4
Susana Thompson
Virginia Hall
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Vote by Mail has grown in popularity because of its ease and convenience. If you need one for the upcoming MST Election, please visit the link below and order yours today.
Remember, Vote by Mail ballots must be received in the Elections Office by 7 PM on Election Day, April 13.
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Every year, the SOE Office visits each high school in Clay County to help register and pre-register students to vote. With COVID preventing us from visiting in-person, we created a virtual program. Part of that is swearing in the principal of each school, in order for them to be allowed to collect the students' registration forms.
Thanks to all the principals and schools that participated this year!
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The Sunshine State Young Readers Awards (SSYRA) Election is one of our favorite Outreach events. SSYRA is a statewide program aimed at encouraging students to read independently.
Students who read three or more SSYRA books then have the opportunity to vote in a statewide election for their favorite book.
In previous years, we've visited schools to let students vote in person. Obviously, COVID now prevents that, but we're able to hold a virtual election with online voting and a video instead.
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Clay County Agricultural Fair will be returning this year! From April 1 through April 11, you can check out the food, entertainment, and rides.
Don't forget to stop by the SOE booth to see our display and to update your info or register to vote!
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On January 5, all five Clay County Constitutional Officers, Supervisor Chambless, Sheriff Michelle Cook, Property Appraiser Tracy Drake, Clerk of Court and Comptroller Tara Green, and Tax Collector Diane Hutchings, were sworn into office.
Judge Don H. Lester administered the oath of office. Supervisor Chambless' wife, Kellie, held his bible, as he was sworn in for his fourth term as Supervisor of Elections.
Most of the SOE staff attended the ceremony, along with Terry Vaughn, the previous Bradford County Supervisor of Elections. The ceremony was lovely and it was so nice to be a part of this special day.
Congratulations to the Constitutional Officers elected to serve Clay County citizens for the next four years!
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In the beginning of February, Stacey, Kemie, Anthony, and Kayla attended virtual Florida Certified Elections Professional (FCEP) classes.
FCEP is a nationally-awarded program, organized by the Florida Supervisors of Elections (FSE). The goal is to provide Florida elections officials, their staff, and vendors the opportunity to receive additional election education and to encourage the highest level of professionalism.
FCEP consists of 30 core classes and provides 120 hours of classroom content, workbooks, and collaborative activities. The diverse topics range from election law and voter registration, to technology and media relations.
Clay County Elections Office recognizes the importance of continuing education. We know
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there's always room to improve. FCEP gives us the chance to learn and grow, both individually and as a whole. It's a tremendous opportunity to share best practices with other counties and expand our knowledge. The more we learn, the better we're able to serve our voters. |
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With 2020 behind us, our Election Services Team has conducted an election review to see what we've done well, what lessons have been learned, and what items we'd like to focus our attention on for 2021.
After each election, our Election Workers fill out surveys to let us know about their experiences during Early Voting and Election Day. We read each survey for the positives and what needs to be worked on. This input helps us to improve and become more efficient with every election.
We're working on our list of projects for this year: equipment to be updated, training to be done, supplies to be ordered, materials to be printed, and so much more! We're coding ballots for the MST in April, but as we prepare for that, we've already got our eye on the 2022 Election Season.
It's just another day at the Elections Office!
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Time Flies When You're Having Fun!
After a great end to the 2020 election season, we celebrated Christmas and the end of the year with food and fun! Now that we've all had a little bit of time to recharge, we're ready to jump back in!
We're preparing for the MST in April, but we're already looking ahead to the 2022 election cycle. There's training to do, procedures to be updated, equipment to be tested, and more- along with all our normal day-to-day tasks that keep us busy! Even though 2021 has barely begun, we know 2022 will be here before we know it.
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Happy Birthday
Stacey............ 1/5
Heather.......... 1/14
Kayla.............. 2/21
Phyllis............. 2/28
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Happy Anniversary
Kayla............. 1 year
Phyllis............ 2 years
Rick............... 2 years
Marti.............. 7 years*
Holly.............. 14 years*
*Denotes full-time employment
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