October 5, 2024 (Orange County, FL) – For some people, the day can’t come soon enough. For others, the day seems too soon: They need more time to prepare. “The day” is Election Day on Nov. 5 in which Florida voters will vote on national, state and local races – including the race for President of the United States. There are also six Florida amendments and 10 Orange County charter amendments on the ballot – including whether or not to legalize recreational marijuana (among adults 21 or older).
No one can speed up the date but here are some key dates THIS MONTH and important information for residents to participate in the General Election (exercise their right to vote):
MONDAY, OCT. 7: Deadline to register to vote. Register In Person until 6 p.m.: Supervisor of Elections Office, 119 W. Kaley Street, Orlando, FL 32806, a driver license office, a public library; the Center for Independent Living as well as WIC (Women, Infants and Children) and DCF (Department of Children and Families) offices. Register Online until 11:59 p.m.: http://www.registertovoteflorida.gov
FRIDAY, OCT. 11: Public testing of voting machines. 9 a.m.
MONDAY, OCT. 21: First day of Early Voting which runs through Sunday, Nov. 3. Early Voting hours: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. See locations at elections office website: www.ocfelections.com/early-voting
THURSDAY, OCT. 24: Deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot until 5 p.m. Return the completed, signed ballot and envelope until 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Sample Ballots have started going out so if you have not gotten one, contact the supervisor of elections office to make sure your address is correct. Reviewing your Sample Ballot ahead of time is a good way to prepare to vote. You can take it with you when you go vote, which will help you save time also.
If you have any questions about voting, contact the elections office: (407) 836-2070.
Sept. 25, 2024 (Eatonville, Florida) – A group of concerned citizens gathered last week at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church to hear from voting advocates who shared their experiences over the years and specific issues that will be on the Nov. 5 General Election ballot.
Grace Lias, of League of Women Voters, talks about importance of voting and how to prepare to vote. (Photo: Trish Marshall/OCN)
About 70 people showed up for the gathering, sponsored by the church, which was held to educate members so they can make choices according to the beliefs in their hearts, according to Macedonia’s Pastor Willie C Barnes. Organizers plan another meeting Oct. 15 to review state amendments that will be on the ballot.
This is a Presidential Election year and it has been a remarkable election season, to say the least: President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris, for the job. Harris, who could become the first woman to be elected P.O.T.U.S., is in a tight race against former President Donald Trump, who was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records, becoming the first former president in U.S. history to be convicted of a felony, according to reports. Here in Florida and Orange County, key races include U.S. Senator, State Attorney and Supervisor of Elections.
At the gathering, several speakers took turns talking about the importance of voting, how to register to vote, various ways to vote and where to research candidates and issues. Afterwards, they took questions from people in the audience.
Grace Lias, of the League of Women Voters of Orange County, started out and spoke from the perspective of the league, a non-partisan organization which has been around for more than 100 years. “We don’t endorse any party or candidate,” she said. “We do make recommendations on amendments.”
She said during her many years with the league she has talked with people about registering to vote and voting she has often heard, ‘I am not political.’
“I don’t know what that means so I often ask, what is important to you or what do you care about?”
She pointed out several hot issues: Social Security (for those near or at retirement age), Homeowner Insurance (rising costs), Education (book banning), Gun Violence (now the #1 cause of death of children and teenagers in the United States) and Healthcare (pre-existing conditions currently covered under the Affordable Care Act).
“We vote to choose the people who make the rules,” Lias said. “That’s what elections are for…Participate, don’t be a bystander.”
She ended by asking audience members to make a plan to vote (early Oct. 21- Nov. 3, by vote-by-mail ballot or on election day), check their voting status with the elections office to make sure they are not inactive or removed from rolls and vote after doing the research.
Byron Green, Chief Deputy of Elections for the Orange County elections office, reviewed recent changes at the office in an effort to get more people out to vote. He got audience members to participate by quizzing them on key dates: Oct. 24 – Last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot and Oct. 7 – Last day to register to vote (by 6 p.m. at the elections office and 11:59 p.m. online). Before the registration deadline is also a good time to update your address and signature, he said.
Completed vote-by-mail ballots can be mailed to the elections office and must be received before 7 p.m. on election day. If you requested a vote-by-mail ballot and for some reason you decide to vote early, you can drop off your completed ballot to the elections office or at any early voting location, Green said.
There are four pages to the General Election ballot, which includes national, state and local races, six state amendments, 10 county charter amendments and one referendum (on whether or not continue the one-half cent School Sales Surtax).
Larry Colleton, President of the Orange County Chapter of the Florida Voters League, closed out with a historical viewpoint of elections and what Black people especially in the South went through to vote. He talked about Project 2025 and how the plan, initiated by the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, undermines the progress made during and after the Civil Rights movement. Colleton pointed out of few highlights of the plan, including the call to eliminate the Department of Education and to re-classify federal employees as “at will” workers. A significant number of Black people over the years worked and still work in those positions, he said.
Overall, the voting gathering was very informative, one attendee said, adding she wanted to learn more about the amendments.
Here are some resources to prepare yourself to vote: Macedonia, http://www.ocfelections.com and http://www.vote411.org. You can also call the elections office if you have questions: (407) 836-2070.
August 29, 2024 (Orlando) — We’re in the midst of hurricane season here in Florida – with several more months to go. So now is the time to buy supplies, during the state of Florida’s Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday, which started on August 24 and ends on September 6 (next Friday). Shoppers can get certain items and pay no taxes: Qualifying items related to disaster preparedness are exempt from sales taxes, based on the state’s Department of Revenue website.
Here are some common items that are exempt from sales during this period: manual can openers, pet food items, portable self-powered light sources; gas or diesel fuel tanks, batteries, smoke detectors and alarms; fire extinguishers and portable generations.
Now, where you purchase items does matter. The sales tax holiday does not apply to sales in a theme park, entertainment complex, public lodging establishment or airport, according to the Department of Revenue’s website.
For details, go to: Visit floridarevenue.com/DisasterPrep
August 16, 2024 – If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times – one way or another: Vote and Vote Wisely. Your Vote is Your Voice. Vote in every election.
So here we are, at the tail end of early voting here in Orange County for the 2024 Primary Election. (Election day is Tuesday, August 20.) Early voting started on Aug. 5 and will end on Aug. 18.
Have you voted by mail or early at one of the 22 Early Voting Locations within the county, including the Supervisor of Elections Office? If not, what are your voting plans? I hope you have taken the time to at least “goggle” the names of the candidates on your Sample Ballot (which you should have gotten if you are registered to vote.)
Here in Orange County, there are several key public offices that are partisan (party specific) and nonpartisan (non-party specific) – including quite a few judicial offices. This means that ALL REGISTERED VOTERS CAN VOTE FOR SOMETHING FOR THE UPCOMING ELECTION.
In some of the public office races, several candidates did not qualify before the deadline or they dropped out late in the game. This is true for the race for Sheriff (incumbent John Mina), Clerk of Court (incumbent Tiffany Moore Russell) and Property Appraiser (incumbent Amy Mercado).
But we are voting for a new Supervisor of Elections in a heated race. The candidates are: Karen Castor Dentel (former school board member), Sunshine Linda-Marie Grund (real estate broker and National Guard veteran), Dan Helm (local attorney) and Wes Hodge (real estate broker and political organizer).
Hope you all are keeping up.
Helm sued retired Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles in the past and filed a lawsuit recently against candidate Cynthia Harris (no party affiliation) and Glenn Gilzean, who was appointed several months ago to replace Cowles by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Helm accused Harris of improperly paying the required filing fee to qualify for the race, according to reports. Something about using a personal account instead of a designated campaign account to pay the qualifying fee to get in the race. Seems technical to me but hey, I’m not an attorney. Yet, Helm wants the job. To my associates who are attorneys: couldn’t Harris qualify as a write-in candidate? I mean, if the fee was paid and paid on time, why not?
Anyway, who do you want to represent you locally, statewide and nationally?
Look at your Sample Ballot, for this election, there are multiple candidates for United States Senator and Representative, State Senator and Representative, Florida Public Defender, county Tax Collector and about a half dozen circuit and county judges as well as county commissioners. You will see familiar names – even some blasts from the past. Many of the candidates for school board and county commission are newcomers to public office.
I will not publish any recommendations or endorsements for the upcoming election but maybe, just maybe, I will for the November Presidential Election. (Let me pray about that one!)
Go vote and my suggestion, with all of the changes happening in our election system, VOTE EARLY and VOTE WISELY.
It’s past time for us to vote for servant leaders. People who have our best interests at heart, on a majority basis. People who aim to do the right thing, no matter the political party or special interest groups with big money. PLUS, character and integrity do matter!
WE know God is in control of it all. WE still have to do our part.
August 5, 2024, (Orange County) – Good news: 22 early voting locations across the county are open today until 7 p.m. Yes, it’s a rainy day but you still can go vote early, if you are available and prepared. If you miss today, you have until August 18 to vote early. Early voting hours: 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Florida is a closed primary state so for many of the public office races, voters must designate which political party they belong to (for partisan races). There are, however, several non-partisan or non-political party races, such as for the school board and county commission, on the ballot. So all registered voters, including those who did not select a party or who selected an independent party, can get a ballot and VOTE.
Here is a list of the early voting locations:
Apopka Community Center
Alafaya Library
Chickasaw Library
Fairview Shores Library
Hiawassee Library
Lift Orlando
Marks Street Senior Center Recreation Complex
Meadow Woods Recreation Center
Orange County National Golf Center
Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office
Renaissance Senior Center
South Creek Library
Southeast Library
Southwest Library
Tibet-Butler Preserve
Town of Eatonville Town Hall
University of Central Florida – Live Oak Event Center
Valencia College – Lake Nona Campus
Washington Park Library
West Oaks Library
Winter Garden Library
Winter Park Library
Now more than ever, it is important for voters to research the candidates, take sample ballots with them (if need be) and fill out the ballot completely (and correctly) so there will be no questions about their intentions for representation in the applicable local, state and national public offices. Also, voters: make sure to take a photo/signature I.D. with you.
If you have any questions or concerns about early voting, call the elections office: (407) 836-2070 or to see the addresses for each location go to the website: https://www.ocfelections.gov/early-voting
June 10, 2024 (Orlando) – Residents in the city who are registered to vote started voting early today for the District 5 Run-Off Election.
Early voting, held at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office, will run through Sunday, June 16. Early voting hours: Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the elections office. The Run-Off Election Day is next Tuesday, June 18, at polling places throughout the district. Voting hours on election day: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The District 5 seat was left vacant when Commissioner Regina Hill was suspended by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after she was charged with various charges, including exploitation of an elderly person and mortgage fraud. Hill has plead not guilty to all charges, according to reports.
The two contenders in the District 5 Run-Off Election are Travaris McCurdy and Shaniqua “Shan” Rose, the top vote getters in the first election on May 21. Rose got 24.80 percent of the votes and McCurdy got 23.29 percent in that election, which had about a 10 percent voter turnout, according to the elections office. Whomever wins will begin serving when elected and until the criminal case involving Hill is resolved or the current terms ends, per election officials.
Shaniqua “Shan” Rose
Travaris McCurdy
In a recent interview, I asked Rose, who ran against Hill for the seat in 2021, at this point (in the midst of early voting and in light of the Run-Off Election next week) what are two things she wants District 5 residents to know?
Here’s her response: “One, as a Parramore resident, I’ve been a champion for positive change in the community and as the next District 5 commissioner, I will continue to champion the needs of this community. I love this community, I believe in this community and I want what’s best for this district – a place where we can all live, work and play.
Two, I am proud to have received endorsements from Greater Orlando Builders Association and the Orlando Regional Realtor Association, which means I have relationships and connections on Day 1 to address the affordable housing crisis. I have local government experience to serve District 5 and the City of Orlando well and I humbly ask for your vote.”
Rose, a former employee of the City of Orlando, currently works as the Executive Director of the Town of Eatonville’s Community Redevelopment Agency and founder/operator of the nonprofit organization Change For The Community (started in 2019). She said she’s lived in the Parramore community for six years.
McCurdy could not be reached to comment for this article.
District 5 covers a huge chuck of downtown Orlando, including historic neighborhoods west of Interstate 4 like Parramore and Rock Lake as well as neighborhoods in the Raleigh Street/Kirkman Road vicinity. A part of MetroWest is also in the district.
If you live in District 5 and have questions about early voting or Run-Off election day voting, contact the election office at (407) 836-2070 or City Clerk’s office at (407) 246-2251. Reminder: The location for early voting is the elections office: 119 W. Kaley Street, Orlando, FL 32806.
-Trish Marshall, Founder and Editor, Orlando Community News
May 22, 2024, (Orlando) — It ain’t over. Registered voters in the city’s District 5 will go to their polling places on Tuesday, June 18 for Run-Off Election Day because none of the seven candidates hoping to fill the open commission seat got a majority of the votes in yesterday’s election.
According to the unofficial election results posted on the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office website, Shaniqua “Shan” Rose and Travaris McCurdy got the highest and second highest number of votes cast in the May 21 Special Election for District 5 Interim City Commission seat. Rose, executive director of the Eatonville Community Redevelopment Agency, got 24.80% of the votes cast and McCurdy, former state representative, got 23.29%, according to the elections office.
Shaniqua “Shan” Rose
Travaris McCurdy
The rest of the 2,134 votes counted were spread among the other five candidates. Ericka Dunlap and Lawanna Gelzer came close with 21.60% an 18.96% of the votes cast, respectively. TiaKeysha Ellison got 1.55%, Cameron Hope got 4.09% and Miles Mulrain Jr. got 5.69%.
The official results will be available on Friday, May 24, when Canvass Board members meet and certify the results.
The District 5 commission seat opened in April when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Commissioner Regina Hill after her arrest on charges of exploitation of the elderly and fraud, according to reports. She maintains her innocence, reports say.
Whomever wins the June 18 run-off election will begin serving and continue until the case against Hill is resolved or the current term for her seat is over (in 2025), according the election officials. Hill has been District 5 commissioner for 10 years.
May 20, 2024 (Orlando) – The city will have an interim commissioner for District 5 this week or voters will go back to the polls for a run-off election if none of the seven candidates receive the majority of the votes during Tuesday’s Special Election. The Orlando Commission District 5 seat was left vacant in April when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Commissioner Regina Hill after her arrest on charges of exploiting the elderly and fraud.
Now it’s up to the reported 21,267 eligible voters to decide who will represent them in the district, which includes many neighborhoods in the Lake Eola, Holden/Parramore, Callahan, MetroWest and Mercy Drive areas.
The seven candidates are: Ericka Dunlap (a former Miss America), TiaKeysha Ellison (business and financial coach), Lawanna Gelzer (community activist), Cameron Hope (businessman), Travaris McCurdy (a former Florida representative), Miles Mulrain Jr. (community actist) and Shaniqua “Shan” Rose (executive director of the redevelopment association in Eatonville).
The clear winner of the election on Tuesday will begin serving when elected until the criminal case again Hill is resolved or when the current term ends (in 2025), according to election officials.
Hopefully, voters have had a chance to meet with or speak with the candidates, either out in the community in the past or recently at some of the candidate forums and debates.
Voting hours for the District 5 Special Election on Tuesday, Nov. 21 are: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
There are five city precincts so voters should check their Sample Ballots to make sure they go to the right precinct to cast their vote. (City precincts are different from county precincts, according to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office.)
Here are the five city precinct locations: Rock Lake Community Center, John H. Jackson Community Center, Fire Station 12; Northwest Community Center and Majestic Life Ministries.
March 11, 2024 (Orange County, FL) – There’s a new supervisor of elections in Orange County. With less than three weeks before an election, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on March 4 announced that he was appointing Glen Gilzean as the new supervisor of elections.
Bill Cowles
Former Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles retired on January 31, 2024 – about one year before his term was to end, leaving the public office vacant. In an initial public release, Cowles said in part, “it is time to pass the torch and retire to private life and enjoy time with my wife and four grandsons.” He is the longest serving supervisor of elections in the county, according to the elections office.
The appointee’s name may sound familiar because he was most recently selected by Gov. DeSantis as Administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, the former Reedy Creek Improvement District (which was mainly controlled by The Walt Disney Co.) Gilzean had previously worked as the Chief Executive Officer of the Central Florida Urban League.
Glen Gilzean
This appointment comes at a crucial time for the elections office, which is the 5th largest county elections office in the state.
This is a presidential election year and early voting has already started for Florida’s Presidential Preference Primary election and local municipal elections on next Tuesday, March 19. It’s no secret that this is a majority Democratic county and Cowles is a registered Democrat. Reports question why the governor selected Gilzean, a fellow Republican, who has no prior elections office experience.
Also, the country is watching a twice impeached former president, who’s defending himself in four criminal indictments, campaign against the current president seeking a second term. Presidential elections tend to attract the most votes of all elections.
Cowles first announced his retirement in February 2023 and said it would be effective at the end of his term – January 6, 2025. But then there was a shift. Cowles, in his official letter of retirement to Gov. DeSantis, said he was leaving effective, January 31, 2024.
That’s right – a year early, leaving the vacancy in the public office. Cowles said in the letter that he was leaving the elections office “in capable hands of a team with a combined 425+ years of election experience” and that was a “source of great confidence.”
The governor appointed Gilzean.
According to news reports, Gilzean said perhaps the governor sees how he can build bridges. Gilzean now has two jobs: administrator of the oversight district and supervisor of elections, according to reports.
Gilzean said in a local television news interview that his goal was “to bring transparency to our elections cycle.”
He praised Cowles yet said it’s “a general distrust nationwide that has him [Gilzean] focusing on Orange County’s voting process.” The report said one of his goals is to show the process of counting votes on Orange TV and social media.
He has broad shoulders to stand on because of Cowles’ 34 years of service at the elections office. Starting out as chief deputy under then-Supervisor Betty Carter, Cowles was elected as the supervisor in 1996. He has been re-elected in every election since.
According to the elections office: “Cowles has played a pivotal role in advancing election administration technology and cybersecurity. From paper-based voting machines in the 1990s to the implementation of Early Voting after the 2000 election, the switch from absentee to Vote-by-Mail and advanced cyber-technologies in the 2020s, he ensured Orange County stayed at the forefront of innovation, while always keeping a paper trail for Orange County voters – ballots in Orange County have always been paper with optical scan…
“Among his proudest accomplishments are the Voter Registration Helpline created in 1999 in partnership with local TV news outlets and his legacy project, Adopt-A-Precinct.”
Before the new year started, eight people filed to run for the vacant seat. One withdrew his candidacy for the November race.
Sources: Orange County Supervisor of Elections, WESH 2 news online (Nancy Alvarez, anchor, March 4, 2024), Tallahassee Democrat (C.A. Bridges, USA Today Network – Florida, March 5, 2024) and fl.gov (Governor’s Staff, March 4, 2024).
For the past several years, Orlando Community News has established a word or thought for each New Year to focus on throughout the year. For 2024, the word that keeps coming up is actually two words: SUBMIT and RESIST.
A thought-provoking Advent message that our Joy in Christ “is living for Christ, a RESISTANCE to injustice and hardships” led me a part of the focus for the new year. “The birth of Jesus was an act of resistance because although prophets foretold his coming, the circumstances surrounding his birth were meant to prevent his forthcoming, or advent. Yet in the humblest of places and the threat of violence looming, joy filled the birthplace of Jesus.” – Pastor Reginald Johnson, 2023 Advent Devotional: Hope, Peace, Joy, Love. (Published by 11th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Christian Education Department)
This reminded me how we as believers have to really fight hard, to PUSH through adversity, to live for Christ; be effective witnesses for him to see the blessings and promises of God. (Think about his blessings that money can’t buy like true Peace and Joy.)
The reminder took me to the scripture, James 4: 7-8, 10: “Submit yourself therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Verse 10: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
Basically, we won’t be able to RESIST the tactics of the devil in such a way that he will leave us alone without the SUPERNATURAL POWER than comes with having a personal relationship with God and SUBMITTING ourselves – and I mean our whole selves (mind, body and soul) – to God. (Woo, got me singing, “I give myself away! I give myself away so you can use me!” – Gospel Recording Artist and Orlando area Pastor William McDowell)
We must first SUBMIT to the authority of God. Humble ourselves to the Most High God. (Just like Jesus did.)
So it’s not just about fighting hard against the devil’s tricks – saying and doing the opposite of what he presents to us.
We also have to pray all day, everyday – and not just for ourselves: For our family. For people standing in need of prayer. For the saints and God’s church worldwide. For leaders, Etc.
SUBMIT and RESIST.
This goes right along with a recent message I heard in church, about being a true disciple of God. We must deny ourselves daily and follow Christ. We have to make a decision to walk with Jesus. Our journey as modern-day disciples is going to be hard. “You’ve got to be strong enough to endure,” said Rev. Alvin Mitchell, Macedonia M.B. Church, Eatonville (Morning Worship message, Feb. 18)
Denying ourselves, often to things that pleases our flesh, is RESISTING the devil. The devil will have us thinking it’s OK to lift ourselves to a place of authority, thinking that we can do whatever we want to do. No Sir, No Ma’am! The devil is a liar! We must first SUBMIT to the authority of Christ Jesus.
I don’t know about you, but I can see that we are living in some perilous times – even after surviving a pandemic! Lord, have mercy! The Bible tells us this will happen in the last days. (Wars and rumors of wars for example)
Without running down current events in our world, I will just ask you to pay attention to what is happening. One thing I will mention: This is a Presidential Election year and we’ve definitely got to SUBMIT ourselves to God and RESIST the devil.
God is in control of everything and everybody. Amen! He is God Almighty. Don’t let the devil or anyone else fool you! Stay humble and stay on God’s side. RESIST everything the devil sends your way! And the Bible says He, the Lord, SHALL LIFT YOU UP. Amen! Hallelujah!
May God bless and keep you and your family in 2024!
