2022 is a significant mid-term election year, beginning with the August 23 Primary Election and the November 8 General Election. This year you will have the opportunity to elect people who will impact you on the county, state, and federal levels. Additionally, regular municipal elections for Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and the Town of Fort Myers Beach will occur during the Primary and General Elections.
I want to highlight a few topics that generate questions from voters before or during an election as you read on.
Florida is a Closed Primary State
In primary elections, registered voters can only vote for their registered party’s candidates in a partisan contest on the ballot. In a primary election, a registered voter, regardless of party affiliation, can vote on a nonpartisan contest or issue for which they are eligible to vote.
Universal Primary Contest
Voters without a party affiliation may only vote for partisan candidates in a primary election if the candidates running for office all have the same party affiliation, and the winner in the Primary Election will not face any opposition in the General Election. This is referred to as a Universal Primary Contest.
Registering to Vote without a Party Affiliation
When voters do not indicate a party affiliation when they register to vote, they are registered with no party affiliation. Although the Primary and General Elections are several months away, I encourage you to check your voter registration status using our QR code in this newsletter, visit our website, or call the office to ensure you are #ElectionReady2022!
Voting Options in Florida
Increasingly, misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, about voting by mail are shared on many platforms. Florida’s election laws provide for strict Vote-by-Mail procedures to protect the integrity of elections. Election fraud in Florida is extremely rare in all forms of voting, including voting by mail.
The statutory guidelines in Florida require transparency in the Vote-by-Mail process. They include numerous public meetings of the County Canvassing Board that oversees the testing of voting machines, tabulating equipment, review of ballots, and tabulation.
While voting by mail is the most convenient way to vote, voters continue to have the additional options of voting in person during Early Voting at an Early Voting site or on Election Day at their assigned polling place.
As your trusted source for election information, I remain committed to providing you with facts that strengthen confidence in the security of Lee County and Florida elections. I encourage you to contact our office with your questions and concerns.
Click here for the information on 2022 offices up for election and retention.
Tommy Doyle