Just eight years ago, the 6,500 students from Flagler County district and private schools gave Hillary Clinton a 1 percent edge over Donald Trump in that year’s election, conducted a few days before that election night, when Trump shocked country and world by taking the Midwest and the election. Since then, however, students in Flagler’s schools have turned Trump’s way more decisively–just as their parents have.
Voting Rights
Tips for Surviving Election Day
No matter what, we all need some tips for surviving the shouting, the demonstrating, the tantrum-throwing, the reality-denying, and the lawsuits, which are the habitual response of our fellow citizens when they don’t get their way. Here you go.
Almost 60 Percent of Flagler County’s Registered Voters Have Cast a Ballot, 6th Highest Turnout in Florida
Turnout in the general election in Flagler County was approaching 60 percent Thursday, with two more days of early voting and Election Day next Tuesday, ahead of the pace of the 2020 election, which resulted in a turnout of 78.6 percent among registered voters. The supervisor of elections and local Democratic and Republican party leaders are describing a nearly issues-free election of historic proportion.
A ‘Firehose’ of Disinformation as Trump and Musk Spread Lies About Voter Fraud in Campaign’s Final Days
Fanned by former President Donald Trump and notable allies such as tech tycoon Elon Musk, election disinformation is warping voters’ faith in the integrity of the democratic process, polls show, and setting the stage once again for potential public unrest if the Republican nominee fails to win the presidency. Their lies about noncitizens voting, the vulnerability of mail-in ballots and the security of voting machines are spreading widely over social media.
A Third of Flagler County Voters Have Already Cast a Ballot, Compared to 24% in Florida
Early voting in Flagler County have significantly exceeded the numbers in the 2020 and 2016 general elections, with the total of mailed-in votes almost at parity with early voting. By early afternoon Friday, just the fifth of 13 days of early voting, a third of Flagler County’s registered voters–almost 32,000—had cast a ballot, well ahead of the 24 percent who have done so statewide.
In Flagler and Florida, Democrats Lose Vote-By-Mail Edge as Republicans Rally in Early Voting
After falling behind in voting by mail, Florida Republicans quickly moved ahead of Democrats in ballots cast in the November election on the strength of turning out to early voting sites. In Flagler County, ballots turned in by registered Democrats had an edge before early voting started on Monday, and Democrats were clinging to a bare difference of a few dozen ballots in that category by midday today. But a record turnout in the first two days of early voting quickly wiped out that advantage.
Early Voting Kicks Off in 51 Florida Counties
Monday marked the earliest date Floridians could vote in person, as all but 16 counties in Florida started early voting. Nine counties will open voting on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday and the remaining seven will open on Saturday.
Early Voting at Flagler County’s Five Locations Breaks Single-Day Record; 12,100 Mail Ballots Already In
With some 12,100 votes already turned in by mail so far, early voting in Flagler County began its 13-day run today with record-breaking turnout despite slow lines as a ballot with two dozen races and a half dozen constitutional and charter amendments took voters time to read and fill out.
A Majority of the Palm Coast City Council Now Opposes Its Own Debt Referendum, Yet It Remains on the Ballot
Newly appointed Palm Coast City Council member Charles Gambaro attempted to nullify a controversial proposed referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot. City Attorney Marcus Duffy counseled against it. That left the council in a startling position of defending a proposed referendum a majority of the council opposes. The ongoing debate is illustrative of the extent to which the proposed referendum has lost credibility and the way it is fracturing the council.
Southern Recreation Center in Palm Coast Added as Fifth Early Voting Site
In preparation for a very high turnout during this Presidential Election, the Flagler County Supervisor of Elections will opened a new early voting site at Palm Coast’s Southern Recreation Center, at 1290 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast, bringing the total of early voting sites to five in Flagler County. The addition is in expectation of a heavy-turnout election and in response to a growing population.
Florida’s Write-In ‘Loophole’ Disenfranchised 2 Million Voters in August. Why Aren’t Lawmakers Fixing It?
Florida has just had party primaries in which an estimated 2 million eligible residents were barred from voting in some state and local races by an indefensible little gimmick commonly known as the “write-in loophole.” It’s a legal fiction both parties refuse to fix because, every now and then, it comes in handy for them.
Yet Another Problem with the Electoral College
The original brilliance of the Electoral College has become one of its prime weaknesses. Presidential candidates focus their rallies, advertisements and outreach efforts on the few states where campaigns could actually tip the balance. In 2020, 77% of all campaign ads ran in just six states that were home to only 21% of the nation’s population.
Ballot Review Doesn’t Change Outcome: Richardson Beats Danko, Stevens Holds 2-Vote Lead
With afternoon recounts still pending, this morning’s review of 46 provisional ballots and questionable mail-in ballots did not change the outcome of Tuesday’s election in the closest contests. Pam Richardson’s victory over Ed Danko for County Commission held. Ray Stevens’s two-vote lead held over Dana Stancel in a Palm Coast City Council race to determine who moves onto the runoff against Andrew Werner.
Flagler’s Election Turnout Tracks Down from 2020 But Elections Supervisor Lenhart Applauds Candidates’ Civility
Flagler County’s election turnout is tracking lower than in the 2020 primary as a variety of factors, including new laws restricting voter freedoms, have taken full effect. As of today turnout is less than 16 percent in the primary election in Flagler, with two days of early voting plus election day left. But Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart said she was proud of local candidates, who have maintained a level of civility unseen in years.
Appeals Court Backs DeSantis School Board Appointment, Rejecting Election
Calculating a vacated seat by the moment when a resignation becomes effective rather than when it is announced, a three-judge panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected arguments by James Golden that an election should be held in November for the Manatee County school-board seat that will be vacated by Rich Tatem.
County Pulls Back from Heavy-Handed Attempt at Regulating ‘Behavior’ or ‘Objects’ at Polling and Public Grounds
The Flagler County Commission’s latest grapple with the messiness of democracy led it Monday to postpone until after the election any plans to regulate campaign zones or other forms of speech on public property, as it had sought to do last month, not without some controversy.
Hurricane Debby Cancelled Early Voting on Monday in Numerous Counties
Although originally scheduled to begin Monday, there was no early voting in Alachua, Bradford, Duval, Gadsden, Jefferson, Levy, or Taylor counties. As of Monday morning, most of those counties said they would begin early voting on Tuesday.
Flagler Tiger Bay Prepares for Largest Candidate Meet-and-Greet of Primary, Waving Off Fret Over Straw Poll
As of Monday some 40 local and state candidates had confirmed attendance at Thursday’s Tiger Bay Meet and Greet, what is expected to be the largest election gathering of the sort for Flagler County and Palm Coast politics ahead of the Aug. 20 primary. The three-hour free event starting at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Palm Coast Community Center will include a voter-registration drive organized by the Supervisor of Elections’ office, and a straw poll, which one candidate is criticizing as a “sham.” He appears isolated.
The Write-In Fraud
Two people who have zero intention to run campaigns have filed to run as write-ins, closing two Flagler County Commission races to 51 percent of the electorate in cynical maneuvers to benefit Ed Danko and Kim Carney in their respective races, against Pam Richardson in one and Nick Klufas and Bill Clark in the other. The write-in fraud takes advantage of a loophole in the law that enables anyone, without paying a dime or showing any intention to campaign, to be a write-in, thus closing otherwise open primaries.
In Florida and Elsewhere, New GOP Rules Hostile to Voter Registration Threaten Fines and Criminal Penalties
Republican lawmakers in Florida , Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, and Texas have enacted a variety of voter registration laws over the past four years. The measures add new requirements around registering and communicating with voters and threaten hefty penalties for violations. The stated goal of the new laws is to prevent fraud, but in the absence of any evidence of more than very rare fraud some voting rights groups contend their real purpose is to dampen participation by likely Democratic voters.
Supervisors of Election Push Back Against Proposed DeSantis Rule On Determining Voter Intent
Florida supervisors of elections are pushing back on a rule proposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration to update standards for determining voters’ intent on ballots, saying the proposal includes “inconsistencies” that could lead to problems for county canvassing boards.
Judge Rules Unconstitutional Part of Florida Law Forbidding Non-Citizens from Gathering Petitions
A federal judge Wednesday issued a final decision blocking part of a 2023 Florida elections law that placed new restrictions on voter-registration groups, including preventing non-U.S. citizens from “collecting or handling” registration applications.
Federal Judge Ends Challenges to Florida’s Election Law Targeting Black Voters
Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued a 17-page order after the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year overturned a ruling in which he found the law improperly discriminated against Black voters. Walker appeared to criticize the appeals court for “reweighing” facts in the case.
For Supreme Court, a ‘Monumental’ Decision on Donald Trump’s Ballot Eligibility
Momentous questions for the U.S. Supreme Court and momentous consequences for the country are likely now that the court has announced it will decide whether former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump is eligible to appear on the Colorado ballot.
A Colorado Justice’s Dissent on Insurrectionists Signals Trouble or Democracy
Chief Justice Brian Boatright’s opinion in the Colorado Supreme Court case excluding Donald Trump from the ballot encapsulates a misunderstanding of — or refusal to accept — Section 3 of the 14th Amendment even among some of the nation’s highest ranking jurists, and it reflects the unfolding failure of U.S. institutions to sustain constitutional order in the face of an existential threat.
In Florida, Voter-Suppression Is Essential to GOP’s Edge
Republicans in 2023 are on a campaign to emulate what occurred during Reconstruction by disenfranchising African Americans, engaging in severe gerrymandering so that the odds are turn in their favor in 2024. Their harsh and uncompromising position on abortion is costing them support and has led to losses in primaries. But the GOP’s political strategy is explained by former President Donald Trump, who has said the quiet part out loud: Republicans will never again win elections if democratic reforms make voting easier.
Florida Appeals Court Upholds Disenfranchising Black Voters in North Florida, a Victory for DeSantis
A state appeals court has rejected a legal attempt to save a Black-opportunity congressional district in North Florida, relying on legal reasoning never raised by the parties to the case: That the district originally was devised to benefit Democrats, not Blacks specifically.
Kaiti Lenhart and Flagler’s Elections Team Host Supervisors of Election from 7 Counties Ahead of 2024 Contests
The Flagler County Elections Team on Wednesday hosted seven county Supervisors of Elections and their staff for the last quarterly Florida Supervisors of Election District 5 Meeting of the year. A total of 24 people attended the meeting at the supervisor’s office at the Government Services Building in Bunnell.
Citing ‘Broken and Arbitrary System,’ Plaintiffs Argue Against Ending Felon Voting Rights Case
Plaintiffs allege that the way state and local officials have carried out Amendment 4, designed to restore voting rights for felons who have completed their sentences, violated the U.S. Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act. Attorneys for the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and four individual plaintiffs filed a 61-page court document opposing a request by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration, county clerks of court and elections supervisors to dismiss the lawsuit.
Court Rules You Can’t Sue to Enforce Voting Rights. Is That Fair?
A federal appeals court in Arkansas ruled on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, that only the federal government – not private citizens or civil rights groups – could sue to enforce the 1965 Voting Rights Act. This decision will likely be appealed to the Supreme Court – but if it stands, it could gut individual people’s and civil rights groups’ legal right to fight racial discrimination in voting.
Florida Under DeSantis Is Ground Zero of Voter Disenfranchisement
DeSantis and the malleable Florida Legislature have cracked down on political protest, asylum seekers, the LGBTQ community, and women and trans men who might need abortions, among others. In elections litigation alone, the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition sued the state in federal court in Miami alleging the state has erected barriers to felons hoping to regain their voting rights under 2018’s Amendment 4, which the organization sponsored.
Judge Rules Unconstitutional DeSantis Plan That Eliminated Black Representation
Circuit Judge J. Lee Marsh ruled that a congressional redistricting plan pushed through the Legislature by Gov. Ron DeSantis violated the Florida Constitution and needs to be redrawn. The judge sided with voting-rights groups in a lawsuit focused on a North Florida district that in the past elected Black Democrat Al Lawson but was dramatically revamped during the 2022 redistricting process. White Republicans won all North Florida congressional districts in the November elections.
Judge Refuses to Block Two Parts of Florida’s Newly Restrictive Election Law
One of those parts requires representatives of voter-registration groups to provide receipts to people who sign up to vote. The other part prevents people with certain felony convictions from “collecting or handling” voter-registration applications.
Citing Florida’s ‘Latest Assault on the Right to Vote,’ Judge Blocks Parts of Election Law
Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker, in a 58-page decision, issued a preliminary injunction against parts of the law that would prevent non-U.S. citizens from “collecting or handling” voter-registration applications and make it a felony for voter-registration group workers to keep personal information of voters.
U.S. Supreme Court Decisively Rejects Outlier Elections Theory Giving Unchecked Powers to States
In a major election-law decision, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that although the Constitution gives state legislatures the power to regulate federal elections, state courts can supervise the legislature’s exercise of that power. By a vote of 6-3, the court rejected the so-called “independent state legislature theory” favored by a extreme Republicans.
Two Elections and ‘Record’ Flagler Voter Registrations Adds Costs to Elections Supervisor’s Budget
Flagler County Elections Supervisor Kaiti Lenhart told the County Commission this morning that the presidential year’s two elections, a record rate of voter registration, inflation and a spate of new legal requirements are adding costs to her office’s budget, which she presented to the county at a workshop.
In Surprise Victory for Voting Rights, Supreme Court Rejects Redistricting Map Diluting Black Vote
By a vote of 5-4, the justices issued a major voting rights decision, ruling that Alabama’s new congressional map likely violates the Voting Rights Act. Even more significantly, the court declined an invitation to adopt an interpretation of the act that would have made it much more difficult to challenge redistricting plans.
Voters Approved an Amendment For Racial Equity in Districts. DeSantis Wants It Ignored.
A lawsuit filed by voting-rights groups focuses a Jacksonville-area district that helped elect Black Democrat Al Lawson until a DeSantis plan redrew it and installed two white Republicans instead. Now DeSantis is asking a court to ignore a 2010 constitutional amendment requiring “Fair Districts.”
Democrats’ South Carolina Primary Move: Diversity and Moderation Over Tradition
Biden said early nominating states should reflect the diversity of the party and nation and that time-consuming caucuses, like those held in Iowa, should no longer be a part of the process because they disadvantage hourly workers and others who can’t take the required time away from work.
Jan. 6 Attack: 3 Florida Extremist Groups Allied ‘to Work Together to Shut This Sh** Down’
The final report of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol includes chilling sections about the force of extremist groups from Florida that formed an alliance, traveled to Washington, D.C., and stormed the Capitol.
Congress Passes Legislation That Will Close Off Presidential Election Mischief and Help Avoid Another Jan. 6
Legal theories were floated by allies of President Donald Trump after the 2020 election that suggested ways to undermine the results of the election, culminating in a failed insurrection at the Capitol. That’s why a bipartisan group of congressional leaders aimed to pass reforms to the 1887 law governing this process, the Electoral Count Act, before the end of 2022.
Don’t Vote for Just One: Ranked Choice Voting Is Gaining Ground
Ranked choice voting has seen steady success in recent years. Proponents of the voting method argue it leads to better representation of voters’ viewpoints and more collegial campaigning while eliminating the need for costly runoff elections. Opponents say it’s too complicated for the average voter to understand.
Supreme Court Seems Unwilling to Embrace Broad Version of ‘Independent State Legislature’ Theory
The Supreme Court on Wednesday signaled that it may not be ready to adopt a sweeping interpretation of the Constitution, known as the “independent state legislature” theory, that would give state legislatures broad power to regulate federal elections without interference from state courts.
‘Independent State Legislature Doctrine’ Could Reverse 200 Years of Democratic Progress
In a case to be heard Wednesday, Moore v. Harper, the U.S. Supreme Court could decide that state legislatures have control over congressional elections, including the ability to draw voting districts for partisan political advantage, unconstrained by state law or state constitutions.
Flagler County Democrats’ Only Way Forward: Become Republican
Contrary to media interpretations, Democrats underperformed woefully nationally, and in Flagler County they were again all but wiped out. To survive locally they have two choices: either run their candidates as Republicans (and support other moderate Republicans), or keep dying at the polls.
Leann Pennington, Theresa Pontieri, Will Furry and Cathy Heighter Win, Half-Cent Tax Passes, Amendments Fail
For Flagler County and Palm Coast, it is an election of new faces: four races, four newcomers to elected office: Leann Pennington won a seat on the County Commission, Theresa Pontieri and Cathy Heighter won seats to the Palm Coast City Council, and Will Furry won a Flagler County School Board seat.
Election Day Opens With Most Ballots Already Cast in Brisk Early and Mail Voting
Polls opened today for the final day of the 2022 election, with nearly 42,000 votes already cast by mail or in early voting in Flagler County. Only a handful of local races are on the ballot.
America’s Election Workers: Overworked, Underpaid and Feeling Pressured
The focus on the machinery of elections has obscured a different threat to the nation’s elections: Local election administrators work under increasingly difficult circumstances, with dwindling resources and mounting challenges.
‘Chaos and Confusion’: The Campaign to Stamp Out Ballot Drop Boxes
Drop boxes have become a symbol of the attacks on voter access even though there’s been no cases of fraud, vandalism or theft involving drop boxes that could have affected election outcomes. Up to one-fourth of Florida drop-boxes had to be eliminated due to a new law restricting their use and locations.
There Is No Ethical Reason Not to Vote
Even if November 2022 could see more Americans registering their midcycle political preferences than in recent years, a large chunk of eligible voters – perhaps around half – will not bother. Each of the usual arguments against voting is flawed.
