Spring 2023

Your quarterly news & updates from the Supervisor of Elections Office

From Supervisor Chambless

"Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting."

― Franklin D. Roosevelt

In this industry, your success is based on one day and one day only. It doesn’t matter how good you are the other 364 days out of the year. Which is why we’re always asking ourselves “What needs to be improved? How do we do it better?”

The truth is, a successful Election Day starts long before the first political ad airs and the ballots are printed. We begin almost as soon as we wrap up the previous election audit. I talked a little bit about our preparations on the Never Off Duty podcast with Judson Sapp and Sheriff Michelle Cook. You can listen to the episode here if you're interested.

A big component is discussing the impact of any legislative changes and deciding how they’ll be implemented. For example, at the end of 2022 all Vote by Mail requests expired. Those who wish to Vote by Mail for 2024 will have to make a new request. In the last presidential election year, we had about 34,500 people Vote by Mail. Right now, we have a fraction of that number who have re-requested. Which means we’ll be focusing on getting the word out about the change and how to request a mail ballot. Then there’s the task of inputting those requests in our system and how that may affect our staff.

We also review our procedures, research vendors, order supplies, update and test equipment, train staff, and more. In between, candidates are filing, petitions are being processed (over 14,500 at last check), orientation classes are being held, and new voters are registering every day!

It’s no secret that Clay County is growing quickly. As our county expands and more voters move in from other states, there’s a lot of confusion surrounding things like voter registration deadlines, election security, and Vote by Mail rules. This is why I want to remind you that my office is your source for verified election information for Clay County.

No matter how many voters register, it remains to be seen who will actually participate. I can assure you; we'll take care of the hard stuff. You just have to show up.

Chris

Municipal Super Tuesday Election Recap

2023 Municipal Super Tuesday Election Turnout

April 11 was Municipal Super Tuesday (MST) Election Day. The City of Keystone Heights and the Town of Orange Park both held an election for 2023.

Keystone Heights held an all-mail ballot election since it only had charter amendments on the ballot. Of the four charter amendments, two of them received enough votes to pass, Charter Amendments No. 1 and No. 4.

Orange Park voters could request a Vote by Mail ballot or go in person and vote at Orange Park Town Hall. After all votes were counted, Tommie "Doug" Benefield retained Seat 1 on Orange Park's Town Council.

Behind the Scenes of Election Day

Many people don't realize just how much work goes into holding an election. The first three pictures show our staff getting ready to send out Vote by Mail ballots for the MST. The last picture is the Canvassing Board meeting on Election Day.

ELECTION WORKERS

Thank You Luncheon

We couldn't have asked for a better day to hold our Election Worker Appreciation Fish Fry! Not only was the weather beautiful, but the food was delicious thanks to GrillBilly's Catering and everyone who brought a dish.

In between the fellowship, Supervisor Chambless took a few minutes to share our gratitude for our amazing Election Workers, and presented a certificate of appreciation to Bob Russell, who is retiring as an Election Worker. He also held a moment of silence as we remembered several of our Election Workers who have passed away recently. The impact our Election Workers have on our community is immeasurable and the legacy they leave behind is remarkable.

Our Election Workers are the backbone of democracy, and our office would not be able to continue our tradition of secure, transparent, and accurate elections without their hard work and dedication. Thank you again to everyone!

Now, who's ready for 2024?

Become an Election Worker.

Upcoming Election Info

2024 Election Dates

Presidential Preference Primary

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Deadline to register to vote Tuesday, February 20

Primary Election

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Deadline to register to vote is Monday, July 22

General Election

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Deadline to register to vote is Monday, October 7

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.

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 Clay County Fair

The Clay County Fair was held Thursday, March 30 through Sunday, April 9. The theme this year was "The Fair is for Everyone."

This year's display highlighted our Vote in Honor of a Veteran program. Clay County has a long history of military service and is home to over 40,000 veterans and active-duty military members. It showcased Camp Blanding, Lee Airfield, and Keystone Heights, plus displayed some of the pictures we currently have in our office of Clay County's service members.

Our fantastic volunteers registered new voters, helped others update their voter information, passed out literature, answered general questions, and offered a friendly face to everyone visiting the Fair. Thank you, we couldn't do it without you!

Centenarian Celebration

It's impressive to reach 100 years of age or older, and more impressive still to be a regular, active voter in our community. It's certainly deserving of a special recognition.

On April 4, the Elections Office recognized 17 voters who've all reached this milestone birthday. We held our Centenarian Celebration at Penney Retirement Community. Supervisor Chambless presented a certificate of appreciation and a corsage to the five ladies who were able to attend in person.

These voters are part of the Greatest Generation. They've witnessed historic events and landmark elections in their century of living. We're honored to be able to recognize these voters and the important role each has played in America's story.

Thank you to our voters and their families, all our attendees, including Property Appraiser Tracy Drake, Sheriff Michelle Cook, County Commissioners Mike Cella, Jim Renninger, Betsy Condon, and Kristen Burke, Penney Retirement Community for hosting our event, and Park Avenue Florist for donating the beautiful flowers presented to each of our recipients.

High School Registration Drives

Did you know that we visit every high school in Clay County to conduct a voter registration drive either during lunch or as part of a class presentation?

We spent time at all of our high schools over the last two weeks speaking to students about the elections process and giving them the chance to get registered (or pre-registered) to vote. We appreciate all the school staff who helped us plan each visit and to all the students who were proactive and filled out Voter Registration forms!

SSYRA Election

Sunshine State Young Readers Award program is a statewide reading motivational program for elementary school students. The purpose of the SSYRA program is to encourage students to read independently for pleasure and to read books that are on, above, and below their reading level in order to improve their reading fluency.

Students who have read three or more SSYRA books are then able to participate in the SSYRA election to vote for their favorite. It's a wonderful program that encourages reading while teaching kids the importance of voting. These are just a few pictures of the fun events our awesome media technicians have put together to celebrate their students reading achievements!

Clay Day

April 19 and 20, we joined leaders from our county, community nonprofits, municipalities, law enforcement agencies, and businesses in Tallahassee for Clay Day 2023. Clay Day gives us a chance to show our legislators what Clay County has to offer.

The trip kicked off with a reception in the courtyard of the Capitol with live music. State Rep. Sam Garrison and State Rep. Bobby Payne shared comments alongside Commission Chair Betsy Condon and County Manager Howard Wanamaker.

The next morning started on the 22nd floor with remarks from State Sen. Jennifer Bradley, State Rep. Sam Garrison, and Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, among others. It was a great visit and we look forward to next year!

Around the Office

District 5 Meeting

On March 13, the Clay County Elections Office hosted our fellow Northeast Florida Supervisors of Elections.

Supervisors and staff from St. Johns, Flagler, Nassau, Union, Baker, and Bradford came together to discuss the 2022 elections and potential changes for future elections.

We also shared best practices and current processes, along with ideas for the upcoming election cycle.

Clay County Elections team: Voter Services Manager Kemie Mahan, Election Services Manager Holly DePaul, Supervisor of Elections Chris Chambless, and Elections Technical Specialist Anthony Manzano

District Five Supervisors of Elections: Kaiti Lenhart, Flagler County; Chris Chambless, Clay County; Vicky Oakes, St. Johns County; Debbie Osborne; Union County; Janet Adkins, Nassau County; Chris Milton, Baker County; Amanda Seyfang, Bradford County

District Five elections services and IT staff

District Five voter services staff

JEOLC

In January, Supervisor Chambless, Elections Services Manager Holly DePaul, and Voter Services Manager Kemie Mahan attended the Joint Election Official Liaison Conference (JEOLC) meeting in Washington, D.C.

Attendees reflected on the 2022 Election cycle and discussed initiatives and legislative efforts for 2023. With presentations from DOJ, FVAP, DHS, GAO, EAC, and Drs. Kathleen Hale and Mitchell Brown, and more, it was extremely informative.

In between, Supervisor Chambless, Holly, and Kemie were able to visit with Congresswoman Kat Cammack and Congressman Aaron Bean. Also on the agenda were several historical sites, including the Florida House! Florida is the only state to have an embassy in Washington, DC. Founded in 1973 by Rhea Chiles, Florida House is owned by the people of Florida and is non-partisan. Its mission is to connect, celebrate, and champion Florida to the world!

Bring Your Puppy to Work

On select days, our staff is able to bring their furry family members to the office! It always makes for a fun time to meet the puppies and give them some attention- and plenty of treats.