Fort Myers Florida Weekly

THE FLORIDA VOTE

A look at how the primary election is shaping up for the Sunshine State



How and where to cast your ballot in the primaries, and who’s running.

How and where to cast your ballot in the primaries, and who’s running.

THE U.S. CONGRESS INCLUDES 100 senators and 435 representatives, with 27 representatives from the state of Florida, one from each of our congressional districts. Only California and Texas have more districts, with 53 and 36, respectively, while New York also has 27. Congressional districts in the United States average just over 700,000 people, based on the most recent completed U.S. Census, in this case the 2010 Census. And every single one of those 435 districts is up for grabs come Nov. 3.

The first lesson in American voting, therefore, is this: Always fill out the U.S. Census, an act tantamount to a vote itself.

If your state’s population increases significantly you get more representation, based on Census numbers. That happened in the Sunshine State after 2010: While New York dropped a couple of districts, Florida gained them. And it will happen again by 2022 in all likelihood, assuming people complete the 2020 Census form, says Rand Hoch, a close observer of Florida elections and president and founder of the Palm Beach Human Rights Council.

* The independent senators (Angus King and Bernie Sanders) formally caucus with the Democratic Party.

* The independent senators (Angus King and Bernie Sanders) formally caucus with the Democratic Party.

“Candidates who win may be in an entirely different position after the election, because of reapportionment (the reallocating of congressional districts among states). One of the purposes of the Census is to see which states get more seats and which get less. We will probably win another seat at the expense of a New York or an Ohio, and that requires lines to be drawn not only within Congress but in the state legislature.”

After reapportionment, each state’s legislature takes up the job of redistricting — creating a new map that gives each congressional district in the state a roughly equal number of votes, a job handed to state legislatures by the U.S. Constitution.

“I trust the Republicans will still be in control of Tallahassee, so any incumbent who has been in congress awhile is going to be pretty safe,” says Mr. Hoch.

Redistricting after new Census numbers are reported and house seats are reapportioned, says Peter Bergerson, professor of public policy at Florida Gulf Coast University, also is known as gerrymandering.

“It’s the formal process of map making and drawing boundary lines. But here’s how members of the House see it: Not as a process of voters choosing the House of Representatives, but of representatives choosing their voters.”

Florida’s contests, and its House footprint

In Prof. Bergerson’s view, this year’s 27 congressional district races are, for the most part, “going to be a yawn. The presidential campaign may suck all the oxygen and the finances out of the media.”

So the congressional races may be underreported, and few if any will result in changes of party, he predicts.

Mr. Hoch, on the other hand, sees the sprawling, mid-state 15th district as a horse race — and the best model of what will change during redistricting.

The 15th now includes the Tampa suburbs, Brandon, Plant City, Bartow and Lakeland, where incumbent U.S. Rep. Ross Spano, a Republican, will likely be challenged by one of three Democrats competing in the primary, including an investigative journalist, a former Marine and the current state representative from Dist. 59, Adam Hattersley, also a decorated Navy combat veteran.

“It’s been a solidly Republican district for years, and Spano was elected in 2018. But there’s a strong Democrat running, Hattersley, and it will be changed in 2022 — they’ll carve it up any way they want,” Mr. Hoch says.

“Spano is under investigation by Trump’s Department of Justice (and the Florida Bar since he’s practiced law in the state for 22 years) for possibly getting $100,000 to 200,000 of campaign contributions illegally. So he’s somewhat under a cloud. Nowadays, people may be more concerned with integrity of government. I don’t know if some Republican voters in Central Florida will give this guy a pass.”

The mix in the state is now 15 Republican representatives and 12 Democrats, a landscape where the 2016 presidential election saw Donald Trump win in no Democratic districts, and Hillary Clinton win in no Republican districts.

But there are two districts and two leaders with significant influence in Washington — two worth watching closely, Prof. Bergerson notes: Republican Mario Diaz-Balart from Florida’s District 25, the party’s assistant whip, and District 23 Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chief deputy whip for Democrats in the House.

Both have some seniority (Wasserman Schultz has served in the House since 2004, and Diaz-Balart since 2002), and both sit on the House Appropriations Committee, which controls the federal budget purse strings; therefore, they can do a lot of good for Florida, especially if they can work together, Prof. Bergerson says.

The term “Whip,” used in both houses of Congress, comes from “whipper-in,” according to a Senate history — the person charged with keeping dogs from straying while fox hunting.

Fox hunting was once characterized by Oscar Wilde as “the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable,” but things may be a little different in politics, at least for the Whip in Congress.

“Basically, the Whip’s job regardless of party is to get their party’s members in the communications link, Prof. Bergerson explains. “To be there for a vote. To vote the way the leadership wants. To be a bargainer.

To try to present party unity. And the job includes not only getting floor votes, but getting members engaged in committee activities and to become advocates in the different committees they serve on.”

Showhorses and workhorses

That may not be so easy to do, depending on who is representative.

“District 19, for example, has had its ups and downs,” Prof. Bergerson notes.

Which may mean the Republican Whip failed in his job, at least in one or two cases.

“Curt Clawson’s record on committee service — it was just not a job he was equipped for,” he says.

Mr. Clawson came from a business background to serve as the Republican Representative in District 19 — Fort Myers and Cape Coral stretching south to Naples and Marco Island — from 2014 to 2017, when he left office, replaced by current Rep. Francis Rooney.

Mr. Rooney decided not to place his name on the ballot again in November this year.

“Rooney was very successful as a businessman, but he’s guy who says, ‘Don’t say “Yes” until I finish talking.’

“That doesn’t work in the House of Representatives. Billionaires are not used to taking orders from people and he saw he was going nowhere and subsequently he gave up the job.”

In terms of Congress, “Mr. Rooney just wasn’t career-oriented — I say that in a positive way. People who accomplish work in the House or Senate are career people.”

The temperaments of elected leaders could be summed up this way, with an old truth in politics, he explains: “Don’t confuse a show horse with a work horse.”

One example of a work horse, says Mark Foley, is Rep. Vern Buchanan, the incumbent Republican from District 16, which includes the Tampa suburbs south into Manatee and northern Sarasota counties.

Mr. Foley, a Palm Beach County Republican who served 11 years in the U.S. House before resigning in 2006 after sending inappropriate e-mails to congressional pages, is widely regarded as an astute and savvy analyst of Florida politics.

He noted that Mr. Buchanan (and Republicans or Democrats like him) keeps his nose to the grindstone and gets things done for his district, without a lot of flashy showing off.

“Some politicians are drawn more to the crowd, to socializing, and some aren’t,” he explains.

Prof. Bergerson offers an example.

“The member of the House from Florida who probably makes the most headlines is the show horse from up in the Panhandle, (Republican District 1 Rep. Matt) Gaetz.

“The show horse belittles coronavirus by having a gas mask on the House floor — there’s a perfect example of a man who spends his time not doing the House work. Then, Gaetz gets infected with it.”

The presidential race

The showstopper in federal elections this year, and the least predictable horserace not just in the nation but in Florida, is the run for the White House.

Although former Vice President Joe Biden is now well ahead in the polls, such observers as Hoch, Bergerson and Foley think the race is much closer.

“I think the president has better than a 50-50 chance to win Florida,” Mr. Foley says. “What the polls aren’t showing are those moderate Republicans who probably won’t answer a phone call from a pollster — they’re silent.”

Silent, perhaps, “but hard-working, better educated, successful people who want clean water and a better environment, who like standing for the national anthem or putting their hands over their hearts during the pledge of allegiance, people who want equal opportunity and justice for all but don’t appreciate protestors who vandalize businesses,” he explains.

In their minds, the Democrats represent more maladies in the contemporary culture than a president who fabricates constantly and has demonstrably failed to confront the coronavirus with a strategy to stop its spread.

Asked for whom he might vote, Mr. Foley paused. “Well, I’ll probably vote for Trump,” he said.

Prof. Bergerson reads a great deal into that pause, a pause, perhaps, for about 10% of voters who haven’t yet made up their minds and won’t until close to voting day in America, he says.

“I’ve seen the polls that show Biden ahead by double-digits but I don’t think it will happen on Nov. 3rd.

Why? Because there are (roughly 90 days) between now and the election. Even though 90% of people have made up their mind — and that’s probably evenly split between Republicans and Democrats — historically in Florida the last four or five presidential elections have been decided by less than 5% of the vote.”

That means a lot depends on what happens at the end, and what happens in the minds of the 10% or so still undecided — still in a pause.

“Historically, those who make up their mind in the last week tend to go for the challenger rather than the incumbent,” he concludes.

In the end

Whatever happens, Florida’s 29 Electoral College votes will be significant in the national outcome, and that points again to the value of the U.S. Census. The more people counted in a given state, the more Electoral College votes the state has, since each state gets two for its two senate seats and as many more as there are congressional districts.

Florida’s 29 amounts to the third largest number.

Remarkably, seven states still have only one representative in Congress, and thus three Electoral College votes each: Vermont and Delaware in the east; North and South Dakota in the northern Midwest; Wyoming and Montana in the West; and Alaska.

Although U.S. representatives are elected to two-year terms, senators get six. That’s why Florida’s Republican senators, Marco Rubio and former Gov. Rick Scott, do not face challenges this year and won’t until 2024. Roughly a third of U.S. senators — this year 33 — are up for election every two years.

So come Nov. 3, 2020, Florida voters will choose a president and vice president, and each of the state’s 27 U.S. representatives, district by district.

That’s after they choose who should get to compete for those positions in the Aug. 18 primary elections.

In the Sunshine State, Republicans and Democrats each must stick to their own party’s primary, which is why it’s called a “closed” primary system. But so-called Independent or Other party and Write- In candidates may still put their names on the ballot Nov. 3, if they’ve met the other requirements to qualify.

For those still undecided after the primary, predicts Mr. Hoch, “a lot of them may realize they’re not better off now than they were four years ago. We’re going through an economic upheaval, people are realizing they may never go back to their job because it won’t exist anymore.

“And giving them $1,200 for a short time — that doesn’t pay rent, day care if kids are in school, fix the car — people are hurting. And Trump is going to be the one who is accountable.”

Who they are

Below, we offer a quick glance at the political contests shaping up statewide before the primary in each district on Aug. 18. Those who win on Nov. 3 will be sworn in on Jan. 3, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., to begin their terms.

Here’s what all American voters, including Floridians, agree to provide the victors: $174,000 per year, the salary for both U.S. senators and representatives. Senate leaders can receive $193,400 and the majority leader, currently Kentucky’s 36-year Sen. Mitch McConnell, receives $223,500.

Along with that, free airport parking; a free on-site gym (which Mr. McConnell doesn’t appear to take advantage of); health care that covers almost 75% of premiums; as many as 239 days off each year; and a pretty good retirement plan. Oh, and somewhat looser insider-trading restrictions than other people enjoy.

But first they have to win.

District 1: The western Panhandle around Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach. Incumbent: Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz. Democrat challenger: retired Navy Commander Phil Ehr.

District 2: In the Big Bend, with Panama City and the Tallahassee suburbs. Incumbent: Republican Rep. Neil Dunn. Challenger: write-in candidate, a Democrat, Kristy Thripp.

District 3: North Central Florida, including Gainesville, Palatka and Ocala. The Republican incumbent, Ted Yoho, withdrew from the race, leaving a field of GOP competitors that includes his former chief of staff, former city and county commissioners, some businesspeople and a physician. For the Democrats, primary voters can choose between an IT professional, a physicist and a couple of businesspeople.

District 4: Parts of Jacksonville and its suburbs, along with St. Augustine. Republican incumbent John Rutherford is facing Erick Aguilar, billed as a Navy veteran, in the primary; Democrat Donna Deegan, a former news anchor at First Coast News and the only Democratic challenger, will join Independent candidate Christopher Eagle in the race to be decided on Nov. 3.

District 5: Florida’s far north, the border country from Tallahassee to Jacksonville. Incumbent Democrat Al Lawson faces two challengers in the primary; Republican primary contenders include Gary Adler and Matthew Lusk.

District 6: The so-called Surf Coast, with Daytona Beach, Deltona and Palm Coast. Incumbent Republican Michael Waltz faces no primary challengers. Democratic primary contenders include Clinton Curtis and Richard Thripp.

District 7: Half of Orlando, Maitland and Winter Park. Democrat Stephanie Murphy, the incumbent, will face one of three Republican primary challengers in November.

District 8: The Space Coast (with Melbourne, Palm Bay and Vero Beach). Incumbent Republican Bill Posey faces Scott Caine in the primary. The winner will face Democratic challenger Jim Kennedy in November.

District 9: The east side of Orlando, with three additional towns: Yeehaw Junction, Kissimmee, and St. Cloud. Incumbent Democrat Darren Soto, with no primary challengers, faces one of three Republican challengers competing in the Republican primary.

District 10: Parts of Orlando and surrounding suburbs. Democratic incumbent Val Demings, with no primary challengers, will face either Vennia Francois or Willie Montague, Republicans competing in the primary.

District 11: Central Florida, including The Villages, a retirement community, and parts of Ocala and Spring Hill. Incumbent Rep. Daniel Webster, a Republican, will face Democrat Dana Cottrell. Neither candidate has competition in the primary.

District 12: Tampa Bay area with Dade City, New Port Richey. Republican incumbent Gil Bilirakis, unchallenged in the primary like his opponent, will face Democrat Kimberly Walker on Nov. 3.

District 13: Part of the Tampa Bay area, with St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Largo. Former Gov. Charlie Crist, now a Democrat, is the incumbent. He will face one of six Republicans competing in the primary.

District 14: Also part of Tampa and suburbs. Incumbent Democrat Kathy Castor will face one of two Republicans in Nov. 3, either Paul Elliott or Christine Quinn.

District 15: Tampa suburbs with Brandon, Plant City, Bartow and Lakeland: Incumbent Republican Ross Spano will face fellow Republican Scott Franklin in the primary. The winner then will be challenged by one of three Democrats competing in the primary, including an investigative journalist, a former Marine and the current state representative from Dist. 59, combat decorated and Navy veteran Adam Hattersley.

District 16: The Tampa suburbs south into Manatee and northern Sarasota counties. Incumbent Vern Buchanan will face Democrat Margaret Good on Nov. 3. Neither has a primary challenger.

District 17: One of the largest, encompassing Central Florida from just south of Winter Haven southward. The district includes Wachula, Sebring, Arcadia, Okeechobee, Port Charlotte, North Port, LaBelle and the northeast corner of Lee County into Lehigh Acres, south of the Caloosahatchee River. Incumbent Republican Greg Steube will face Democrat Allen Ellison in November. Neither candidate will be challenged in the primaries.

District 18: The Treasure Coast, with Stuart, Port St. Lucie, and the northern flank of Palm Beach County. Incumbent Republican Brian Mast will face Nick Vessio in the Republican primary. The winner will run against one of two Democrats competing in the primary: Pam Keith, an attorney and former Navy lawyer; or Oz Vazquez, the former Florida Deputy Solicitor General.

K.W. Miller is running as an Independent.

District 19: Southwest Florida, including Fort Myers and Cape Coral, with Naples and Marco Island to the south. Incumbent Republican Francis Rooney withdrew, leaving a field of nine Republican candidates facing off in the primary election Aug. 18, one of whom will face the Democratic primary winner: either Cindy Banyai or David Holden.

Antonia Dumornay is running as an Independent.

Dist. 20: Southeast Florida, including portions of Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Incumbent Democrat Alcee Hastings will face Sheila Cherfilus McCormick in the primary, and the winner will run on Nov. 3 against one of four Republicans facing off in the primary. The Republican hopefuls include Vic DeGrammont, Linda Hamburger, Lateresa Jones and Gregory Musselwhite.

Dist. 21: Southeast Florida stretching from Wellington to Pompano Beach and including Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach. Incumbent Democrat Lois Frankel will face a primary challenge from Guido Weiss. The winner will run Nov. 3 against the one of eight Republican candidates to win the primary on Aug. 18.

District 22: Broward and part of Palm Beach County on the Atlantic. From north of Boca Raton to Interstate 595 on the southern edge of Fort Lauderdale, including Deerfield Beach and parts of both Pompano Beach and Fort Lauderdale. Incumbent Democrat Ted Deutch, with no challengers in the primary, will face one of five challengers in the Republican primary.

District 23: Central Broward into Miami-Dade’s famous Miami Beach. Towns include Weston, Pembroke Pines, Davie, Plantation and Aventura.

Incumbent Democrat Debbie-Wasserman Schultz will be challenged by Jan Perelman in the Democratic primary. The winner will face one of five Republicans going head to head in the primary.

District 24: Parts of Miami and suburbs, including Miami Gardens, where U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio spent part of his youth and owns a home. Democratic incumbent Rep. Frederica Wilson has two primary challengers. The winner will meet one of two Republicans competing in the Republican primary and a Libertarian challenger.

District 25: Miami-area towns including Hialeah and Miami Lakes in a sprawl that reaches west to Immokalee and Golden Gate near Naples but also north to Clewiston and LaBelle. Republican incumbent Mario Diaz-Balart faces no opposition.

District 26: Monroe County and southwestern Miami-Dade. Incumbent Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who flipped the district in the 2018 election, faces one primary challenger, Juan Parades. On Nov. 3, the winner of that race will face one of three Republicans competing in the primary: Omar Blanco, Carlos A. Giménez or Jose Peixoto.

District 27: Half of Miami and a significant portion of Miami-Dade County. Democratic incumbent Donna Shalala flipped the district in 2018. She’ll face Donald Summerall in the primary, and one of them will square off against one of three Republicans in the primary, and a Republican write-in candidate who will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot, Frank Polo. ¦

In the KNOW

Lee County Primary Election 2020

Although the election this August is called a primary, keep in mind that, for efficiency in running elections, some local races and ballot issues hitch a ride on primary elections. This means that this particular election might be your only opportunity to cast your vote on these matters that have a direct impact on your community. Fortunately, there are more voting options than ever to help you make your voice heard in our democracy.

To provide you with information and essential deadlines for the general election this fall, Florida Weekly has compiled this primary guide, with practical, how-to information such as voter registration procedures and deadlines, early voting locations and dates, vote-by-mail opportunities and more. It also contains listings of the local contests and issues that will appear on ballots in your county.

Local elections office

Lee County Supervisor of Elections

Website: www.lee.vote

Voice number: 239-533-8683

Vote-by-mail fax number: 239- 533-6322

General email: elections@lee.vote

Vote-by-mail email: votebymail@lee.vote

Mailing address: P.O. Box 2545, Fort Myers, FL 33902

Physical location: Third floor, 2480 Thompson St., Fort Myers

Hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday- Friday (Because of the pandemic, you must call for an appointment if you need to visit the elections office for services.)

Registering to vote

How to register to vote

Register online: www.registertovoteflorida.gov

Register by mail: If you do not have a Florida-issued identification, the mail-in registration contains a list of alternate forms of identification you may submit. Mail the completed application and copies of identification documents to your county’s Supervisor of Elections office. Print out a blank application from www.lee.vote/Voter-Resources/How-do-I-register-to-Vote or call the elections office to request one.

Register in person: In-person registration services are limited because of the pandemic and require an appointment. Call to make an appointment for in-person registration at your county’s Supervisor of Elections office or to inquire about other in-person registration sites that might be open.

How to update an existing voter registration

As a voter, you are responsible for updating your county’s Supervisor of Elections about any changes to your address, name, signature or choice of party affiliation. To learn how to update your voter registration, visit registertovoteflorida.gov or call your county’s elections office.

Checking your voter registration status

Voters are listed as inactive if they do not vote in two federal general elections (do not vote during a four-year period), if they do not request mail ballots or if they do not keep their voter information up to date, which could include not responding to address confirmation mailers if their county’s Supervisor of Elections sends out these mailers. Voters listed as inactive may still update their voter information records, request mail ballots or vote in person, any of which will move them to the active voter list. If voters remain inactive beyond two federal general elections, they may be purged from the voting rolls and then would have to re-register. To check your current registration status, visit registration.elections.myflorida.com/CheckVoterStatus or call your county’s Supervisor of Elections office.

Registration deadlines

Primary election: The deadline was July 20, so the book is already closed for this year’s primary.

General election: Monday, Oct. 5

Vote by mail (absentee voting)

You do not have to provide an excuse in Florida to request a vote-by-mail (absentee) ballot. You may file a request for a vote-by-mail ballot on behalf of yourself or of immediate family members, categorized as your child, grandparent, parent, sibling, spouse or those same categories of immediate family members of your spouse. It is possible to have your vote-by-mail ballot sent to a different address than the one in your voting records if you so choose, but this request needs to be made in writing and bear your signature. Note that the postal service cannot forward vote-by-mail ballots, so you must provide the correct address for delivery.

If you request a vote-by-mail ballot but later decide you prefer to vote in person, you may do so by surrendering the mail ballot at your in-person voting location. While surrendering the mail ballot will speed up your check in, if you forget to bring it, the poll workers will allow you to vote once they have verified that you have not already voted using your mail ballot. (If the poll workers are unable to verify that you have not already voted, you will be required to vote using a provisional ballot.)

How to request a vote-by-mail ballot

Request a vote-by-mail ballot online: www.lee.vote/Vote-by-Mail/ Vote-by-Mail-Information/Request-a-Vote-by-Mail-Ballot

Request a vote-by-mail ballot by phone: Call your county’s Supervisor of Elections office.

Request a vote-by-mail ballot in writing: The request may be mailed, faxed or emailed to your county’s Supervisor of Elections office. Visit www.lee.vote/Vote-by-Mail/Vote-by- Mail-Information to print out a request form or call your county’s elections office to request a form.

Request a vote-by-mail ballot in person: Because services are limited during the pandemic, call your county’s elections office to make an appointment.

Deadlines for requesting a vote-by-mail ballot sent by mail

Primary election: 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8

General election: 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24

Dates for picking up a vote-by-mail ballot in person

If you miss the mail-out request deadline, you may still make arrangements to pick up a vote-by-mail ballot in person during regular business hours at your county’s Supervisor of Elections office. If you are unable to appear in person, you may designate someone to pick up the mail ballot for you by filling out the “Affidavit to pick up a vote-by-mail ballot for a voter” form. Because of the pandemic, call to make an appointment.

In-person vote-by-mail ballot pick up: Monday, Aug. 10 through 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17

Designee affidavit form: www.lee.vote/Vote-by-Mail/Vote-by-Mail-Information

Obtaining an emergency absentee ballot

If an emergency arises on Election Day that prevents a voter from being able to vote in person, it is still possible to request a vote-by-mail (absentee) ballot. The voter must fill out an “Election Day emergency vote-by-mail ballot delivery affidavit” in addition to the forms for a designee to pick up the ballot at the Supervisor of Elections office.

Election Day emergency form: www.lee.vote/Vote-by-Mail/Vote-by- Mail-Information

Returning the completed vote-by-mail ballot

Return by mail: Mail by Tuesday, Aug. 11 so that the ballot is received by Election Day.

Return in person to early voting sites: Each early voting location (see addresses below) has a secure drop box for hand-delivering vote-by-mail ballots during early voting hours.

Return in person to elections office: Your county’s Supervisor of Elections main and branch offices have secure drop boxes for hand-delivering vote-by-mail ballots during business hours. These are also the only locations that accept hand-delivered mail ballots on Election Day, on a staggered schedule. Hand-delivered mail ballots will be accepted only until 3 p.m. on Election Day at the Bonita Springs and Cape Coral branch offices, only until 5 p.m. at the Lee County Elections Center and only until 7 p.m. at the Supervisor of Elections main office.

Tracking your vote-by-mail ballot

After you have submitted your vote-by-mail ballot, visit www.registration.elections.myflorida.com/CheckVoterStatus to check the status of your ballot.

Resolving problems with your vote-by-mail ballot

The acceptance of your vote-by-mail ballot relies upon the signature on the return envelope matching your signature on file in your Florida voter records. If you forget to sign the certificate on the envelope or the signatures do not match, the elections office will contact you. You will have until 5 p.m. the Thursday following the election (two days after Election Day) to complete and return a “signature cure affidavit” accompanied by a copy of your identification.

Voting in person during early voting

You may vote at any early voting location in your county of registration during the early voting period. Remember to bring photo identification with you.

Primary Election early voting dates: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8-Saturday, Aug. 15

Primary Election early voting locations:

Bonita Springs / Estero:

Lee County Elections ‚ Bonita Springs Branch Office, 25987 S. Tamiami Trail, #105, Bonita Springs, FL 34134

Estero Recreation Center, 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd., Estero, FL 33928

Cape Coral:

Cape Coral — Lee County Library, 921 SW 39th Terrace, Cape Coral, FL 33914

Lee County Elections — Cape Coral Branch Office, 1039 SE 9th Ave., Cape Coral, FL 33990

Northwest Regional Library, 519 Chiquita Blvd. N., Cape Coral, FL 33993

Fort Myers:

Dr. Carrie D. Robinson Center, 2990 Edison Ave., Fort Myers, FL 33916

Lee County Elections Center, 13180 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers, FL 33907

Lehigh Acres:

East County Regional Library, 881 Gunnery Road N., Lehigh Acres, FL 33971

Veterans Park Recreation Center, 55 Homestead Road S., Lehigh Acres, FL 33936

North Fort Myers:

North Fort Myers Recreation Center, 2000 N. Recreation Park Way, North Fort Myers, FL 33903

Voting in person on Primary Election Day

You must vote at your assigned polling place on Election Day. Remember to bring photo identification with you. Polling locations for precincts sometimes change, so be certain to double check your voter’s record to be sure you report to the correct location.

Primary Election Day voting hours: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18

Find your polling place: www.lee. vote/Admin/Check-my-Registration-Status

Key dates for the General Election

Register to vote: Monday, Oct. 5

Request a vote-by-mail ballot sent by mail: 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24

Return a vote-by-mail ballot by mail: Tuesday, Oct. 27

Early voting dates: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19-Saturday, Oct. 31

General Election Day: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3

Primary Election ballot — Lee County

Florida Weekly presents this information in the same order as it appears on the county Supervisor of Elections website. Florida runs on a closed primary system, which means that primary candidates listed for a specific party may only be voted for by registered voters of that same party, with the exception of when no other candidates would be qualified to run against a party’s primary winner in the general election. Additionally, all voters may vote in the nonpartisan races, such as judge, school board and city council races, as well as on the ballot issues that appear on the ballot during primary elections.

DEMOCRATS

Representative in Congress District 19

Cindy Lyn Banyai
David Holden

Party offices:

Precinct Committeewoman Precinct 29 (vote for up to two)

Kari Lynn Lerner
Carmen Lopez Negron
Lori Paulson

REPUBLICANS

Representative in Congress District 19

Darren Aquino
Casey Askar
Byron Donalds
Dane Eagle
William “Fig” Figlesthaler
Randy Henderson
Daniel Kowal
Christy McLaughlin
Dan Severson

State Senator District 27

Heather Fitzenhagen
Ray Rodrigues

State Representative District 76

Adam Botana
Jason Maughan

State Representative District 77

Bryan Blackwell
Mike Giallombardo

State Representative District 78

Roger Lolly
Charlie Lynch
Jenna Persons

State Representative District 79

Randy Allen-Scott
Spencer Roach

Sheriff

James Leavens
Carmine Marceno

Property Appraiser

Matt Caldwell
Matt Miller

Board of County Commissioners District 1

Michael J. Dreikorn
Kevin Ruane

Board of County Commissioners District 3

Nicholas “Nick” Batos
Ray Sandelli

Board of County Commissioners District 5

Steven Patrick Haas
Frank Mann

Party offices:

State Committeeman

Matt Caldwell
Chris Crowley

State Committeewoman

Adele F. Amico
Nancy M. McGovern

Nonpartisan (may vote regardless of party affiliation)

School Board Member District 2

Emory Cavin
Charla Fox
Melisa W. Giovannelli
John F. “Jeff” McCullers

School Board Member District 3

Brian DiGrazio
Chris Patricca
Jacqueline Perez

School Board Member District 7 (countywide contest)

Pete Bohatch
Cathleen Morgan
Curt Sheard

City of Cape Coral City Council District 2

Bryan DeLaHunt
Todd Maurer
Dan Sheppard

City of Cape Coral City Council District 3

Chris Cammarota
Tom Hayden
Joseph Kilraine
Edward Nichols

City of Cape Coral City Council District 7

Jessica Cosden
Patty L. Cummings
Derrick Donnell

City of Fort Myers Mayor

Kevin B. Anderson
Gaile Anthony
Jacquelyn D. McMiller

City of Fort Myers City Council Ward 4

Connie Bennett-Martin
Liston “Lin” Bochette
Jerry Miller
Chauncey Solinger

City of Fort Myers City Council Ward 6

Darla Betzer Bonk
Diana Giraldo
Margy Metzler
Jacques A. Thomas Jr.
Jared Wray

Nonpartisan special district referendums (may vote regardless of party affiliation)

Fort Myers Shores Fire Protection and Rescue Service District referendum:

Referendum to increase the maximum millage rate of the Fort Myers Shores Fire Protection and Rescue Service District

To fund the operation, construction, and maintenance costs of the services and facilities of the Fort Myers Shores Fire Protection and Rescue Service District, shall the District be authorized to increase the current maximum available annual ad valorem millage tax rate the District can charge from 2 mills ($2 for every $1,000 of property value), which was approved by election in 1990, to 3 mills ($3 for every $1,000 of property value)?

Yes
No

Lehigh Acres Fire District referendum

Funding Lehigh Acres Fire District Services, Administration and Capital with non-ad valorem property assessments

As an alternative to ad valorem taxes and current assessments, may Lehigh Acres Fire District annually levy non-ad valorem assessments beginning fiscal year 2020/2021 to fund fire protection, rescue, emergency medical services, administration, governance and associated capital not exceeding $162 per parcel plus $0.93 per $1,000 of value of improvements thereon, together with identified administrative costs, collection costs, and statutory discounts, with increases limited by growth in Florida personal income over the previous 5 years?

Yes
No

— Compiled by Laura Tichy-Smith

 

On NBC in SWFL discussing The Florida Vote with Eric Raddatz.

2 responses to “THE FLORIDA VOTE”

  1. C says:

    Please check/fix your the link re checking status of mail-in ballots:
    www.registration.elections.myflorida.com/CheckVoterStatus

  2. Mary Jo says:

    Great, informative article. Thank you.

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