The Presidential Preference Primary might be over, but election season is just getting started. The PPP was a smooth election, reflecting the dedication and hard work of all involved, however voter turnout was much lower compared to past election cycles. When less than 17% of eligible voters cast their ballot (the lowest turnout for Clay County in a PPP since 2004), it's disheartening to say the least.

Your experience with voting may only consist of walking into a polling location, presenting your ID, filling out a ballot, and then going on your way. But an election doesn’t just happen in one day. There are weeks, months, sometimes even years of preparation to get to that point. Testing equipment, training Election Workers, registering voters, implementing law changes, and then getting the message out to voters takes a well-coordinated effort by both our staff and our county partners.

Voter participation is crucial for the health and functioning of our political system. By casting our ballots, we have a say in who represents us and the policies that affect our daily lives. It's an opportunity to make our voices heard and to shape the future of our community and country. So, let's remember our civic duty and take advantage of this privilege by participating in every election.

Chris

We're always looking for new ways to connect with our voters and make sure they are getting timely, accurate election information. That's why we're excited to announce that we've launched TextMyGov! Simply text "CLAYVOTES" to 91896 and opt-in to receive reminders about important election dates and voting info directly to your phone!

Candidates on the Ballot

Though the PPP began with multiple Republican candidates when the ballot was initially produced, by the time voting began, most had suspended their campaigns.

When a candidate decides to end a presidential bid, they often say the campaign has been "suspended," rather than they've dropped out. Under election law, the phrase “suspending a campaign” has no formal meaning. So why "suspend a campaign" instead of "exiting a race"? Two important reasons- delegates and money.

Voter Turnout

While the Republican Party had multiple candidates, the Democratic Party declared incumbent Joe Biden as its presidential nominee. This effectively created a Republican-only election. With 88,022 active and eligible Republican voters, only 13,715 cast a ballot in the PPP. 4,958 by Mail, 4,845 on Election Day, and 3,909 during Early Voting- resulting in almost equal breakdown on the types of voting.

Election Integrity & Security

With every election, we receive questions about the security of casting a ballot, rumors of fraud, and comments from voters who worry if their vote will count. We take every opportunity to answer those questions and, hopefully, ease some of those concerns. Supervisor Chambless spoke to a number of groups, gave several interviews, and even appeared on News 4 Jax's "Path to the Polls" before the PPP Election.

Logic & Accuracy Testing

Elections don't happen in one day. In reality, there are many moving pieces that take months to coordinate. The Logic & Accuracy (L&A) test is required before every election. This is when the equipment is formally tested to ensure votes are accurately being counted. The L&A, like all other Canvassing Board events, is open to the public to attend.

Early Voting Setup

Teamwork makes the dream work! Our Elections Services team is responsible for deploying the voting equipment to all seven locations and setting it up. By now they have it down pat!

Vote by Mail Opening

In order to both preserve the secrecy of the ballot AND accurately count Vote by Mail ballots; we use teams of three to open them. All our volunteers are sworn in beforehand and then Supervisor Chambless explains the process. The first person removes the ballot and secrecy sleeve from the envelope, the second person removes the secrecy sleeve and hands the ballot to the last person. The third person is responsible for unfolding the ballot and counting it. Once all the ballots in that precinct have been opened, the number of ballots must match the number of envelopes received in that specific precinct. Again, like all Canvassing Board events, this is open to the public to attend!

Municipal Super Tuesday fell on Tuesday, April 9. Both the City of Keystone Heights and the Town of Orange Park had elections. Keystone Heights' ballot consisted of a single amendment, so they opted for a mail ballot-only election. All eligible voters who resided within the city limits were sent a Vote by Mail ballot for that election only. The Town of Orange Park had one Town Council seat up for election and so eligible residents could either Vote by Mail or vote in person on Election Day.

Upcoming Elections

Early Voting

Early Voting offers lots of flexibility and convenience! Clay County voters can visit any of the seven Early Voting locations throughout the county. All seven are open on the weekends and have Secure Ballot Intake Stations for those who want to turn in their voted Vote by Mail ballots. Find directions and current wait times here.

Voting by Mail

Due to a change in Florida law, all previous Vote by Mail requests expired in 2022. For those who wish to Vote by Mail, a new request will need to be made for each election cycle. Requests can be made over the phone, on a form, or online here.

New Statewide Forms Available

The Florida Division of Elections has published a new statewide Vote by Mail (VBM) Request Form and Voter Registration Form. The VBM Request Form must be used when making a request in writing, however voters can still make VBM requests by calling the Elections Office or by going on our website.

The new Voter Registration Form can be found here on our website. It can be used for both new registrations and name, address, party, and signature updates to existing voter records.

We combined our December and January birthdays: Kemie, Stacey, and Heather

Celebrating our February birthdays: Marcie, Kayla, and Phyllis.

Our March babies: Lynn, Marti, and Magy.

Holly is our one and only April birthday!