Quarterly Newsletter
October 30 - December 31, 2020
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Now that the 2020 General Election is behind us, our team embraces the new year ahead and the opportunities it brings. Thank you for all of your support in 2020 and I hope this year will be the best yet.
On January 5, I was officially sworn in to begin my third term serving as your Supervisor of Elections. I am honored to serve Marion County's citizens and committed to upholding Florida's model of successful elections.
Looking forward, my office is planning to conduct the City of Ocala Election on September 21. More information will be shared as it becomes available, and I encourage you to visit my website www.VoteMarion.Gov to stay informed.
Local elections may not get the spotlight as national elections do, but they should not be discredited. Local elections are equally, if not more, important than national elections, yet voter turnout is significantly less. Your local elected officials make decisions that affect you directly and have the greatest impact to our community. I strongly encourage you to research your local elected officials and familiarize yourself with the candidates running for office, then do your part by exercising your right to vote. You can also print or download our 2021 Elected Officials Guide to view current office holders and terms.
If either myself or my team can be of assistance, please contact us.
Sincerely,
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Wesley Wilcox, CERA
Supervisor of Elections ∙ Marion County, Florida
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Marion County's Elected Officials Sworn in |
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On January 5, 2021, Marion County's elected officials were sworn in and took their oath of office administered by Judge Edward L. Scott. Congratulations to the constitutional officers elected to serve Marion County's citizens over the next four years - Tax Collector George Albright, Sheriff Billy Woods, Property Appraiser Jimmy H. Cowan, Jr., Supervisor of Elections Wesley Wilcox, and Clerk of Court Gregory C. Harrell. |
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2020 General Election Feedback |
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Thank you to all 205,540 Marion County voters who cast a ballot in the historic 2020 General Election, setting a record turnout of 77.68%. We loved seeing all of the photos on social media of voters proudly displaying their "I Voted sticker" and sharing their positive voting experience. We remain committed to providing excellent service and welcome your feedback. |
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"You folks did a great, very professional job with this election. I'm very impressed. Well done to all."
- Mark B.
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"I mailed my ballot two weeks ago Tuesday from my neighborhood outgoing box. My ballot was delivered, received and counted in 24 hours. Great Job Marion County!"
- Jackie D.
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"Very friendly...very organized. I went to early vote and was surprised how quickly everything moved...great job"
- Kathie C.
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"Thank you Wesley and team for another successful election.. we are truly blessed!"
- Debbie Z.
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"All of Florida has a great election team. We had the votes counted before my husband, a poll worker, could get home after the polls closed. GREAT JOB FOLKS!"
- Gail H.
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"Thank you ladies and gentlemen for all your hard work! We have the best community to vote in! We are blessed."
- Carrie K.
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2020 General Election By The Numbers Report |
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Marion County voters turned out in record numbers in the November 3, 2020 General Election! Take a closer look inside our By the Numbers report that illustrates graphs of voter registration, turnout, demographics, and other election data.
2020 General Election Highlights:
- 77.68% record voter turnout
- 32,405 first-time voters
- Vote-by-mail requests more than doubled from 2016
- Record early voting and vote-by-mail turnout
- 99.69% of vote-by-mail ballots accepted
- Early voting used more than any other voting method
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Post-Election Audit Confirms Voting System Accuracy |
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Immediately following the certification of each election, a public audit is conducted by the county canvassing board to ensure the accuracy of the voting system used. A randomly selected contest and precinct(s) are chosen. Then all ballots (vote-by-mail, early voting, and election day) containing the selected precinct(s) and contest are hand counted to ensure the human and machine count match.
Following the certification of the November 3, 2020 General Election, the Marion County canvassing board randomly selected the Congressional District 11 contest and precinct number 3660 to be audited. The public voting system audit was completed with 100% accuracy, verifying the machine and human count matched exactly.
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Concluded our annual county-wide high school Voter Registration Challenge. All of Marion County’s public high schools participated, 470 students registered to vote, and 44 registration activities were provided. Congratulations to challenge winner, North Marion High School! |
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Surpassed a quarter of a million registered voters in Marion County, which increased by
nearly 70% over two decades.
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Conducted the March 17, 2020 Presidential Preference Primary Election. |
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Began our ongoing voter education campaign to assure voters that vote-by-mail is secure.
Check out our video and Infographic on Marion County's vote-by-mail process and share it with a friend! |
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Conducted the May 19, 2020 City of Ocala Special Election Run-off. |
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Wesley qualified without opposition and was re-elected as Marion County
Supervisor of Elections.
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Wesley was interviewed by PBS NewsHour for a story highlighting Marion County's voting processes.
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Conducted the August 18, 2020 Primary Election. |
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Launched BallotTrax, a communication system designed to send mail ballot status alerts to voters via email, SMS (text), or voice call. More than 16,000 voters signed up to use the service for the 2020 General Election! |
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Filmed the process of tracking Wesley's mail ballot for the 2020 General Election. In case you missed it, you can watch it here. |
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Conducted the November 3, 2020 General Election. |
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Helped restock local food pantries by participating in Marion County's annual Bring the Harvest Home food drive. Collectively, 13,000 pounds of items were donated to benefit Brother’s Keeper, Interfaith Emergency Services, and the Salvation Army. |
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Please like and follow our social media accounts to receive frequent updates and accurate information from your trusted source of voting and election information in Marion County. #VoteMarion
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Marion County Supervisor of Elections, 981 NE 16th Street, Ocala FL 34470
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