With millions of Floridians seeking to vote by mail amid the coronavirus pandemic, postal officials have warned Secretary of State Laurel Lee that the state is at risk of having ballots go uncounted in the November presidential election.
Elections 2026
Florida Felons and Lawyers Face ‘Tremendous Confusion’ On Regaining Voting Rights
The legal wrangling and incomplete or contradictory court records have erected at-times insurmountable barriers for Florida felons who want to participate in one of the bedrock elements of democracy: voting.
In Muted Money Race for Palm Coast Council, Candidates’ Own Wallets and Developer-Realtors Rustle Loudest
The races for the three seats on the Palm Coast City Council are drawing neither many contributors nor many contributions despite the high-profile mayoral race and a combined 11 candidates running for the three seats, based on cumulative campaign finance reports filed as of July 31.
Carol Bacha (Mother Elizabeth), Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Carol Bacha, also known as Mother Elizabeth, is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Bacha is running in District 3 against Paul Mucciolo and incumbent Colleen Conklin.
Denouncing the McCarthyist Smear Campaign Against Palm Coast’s Mayor and Manager
Falsely accusing a competitor, or anyone, of corruption and being a criminal is vile. That type of McCarthyist behavior shouldn’t be applauded. It should be denounced. And it speaks volumes of the character and integrity of the ones flinging those accusations around, argues Brad West.
Colleen Conklin, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Colleen Conklin is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Conklin, a five-term incumbent, is running in District 3 against Paul Mucciolo and Carol (Sister Elizabeth) Bacha.
Zack Shapiro, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Zack Shapiro is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 3, running against incumbent Nick Klufas and Cornelia Manfre in the Aug. 18 primary. All registered voters in Palm Coast regardless of party affiliation or geography may cast a vote.
Paul Mucciolo, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Paul Mucciolo is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Mucciolo is running in District 3 against incumbent Colleen Conklin and Carol Bacha, also known as Mother Elizabeth.
Bob Jones, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Bob Jones is running against Donald O’Brien in the Republican primary on Aug. 18. The winner will face two independents in the Nov. 3 general election. Jones, like other members of the local Trump Club, is not answering questions.
Cornelia Manfre, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Cornelia Manfre is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 3, running against incumbent Nick Klufas and Zach Shapiro in the Aug. 18 primary. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Nick Klufas, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Nick Klufas, a first-term incumbent, is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 3, running against Cornelia Manfre and Zach Shapiro. All registered voters in Palm Coast, regardless of party affiliation, may cast a vote in the Aug. 18 primary election.
Ed Danko, Palm Coast City Council: The Live Interview
Ed Danko is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 1–the seat first-term Councilman Bob Cuff elected not to run for again. The seat also drew Sims Jones and Lou Salvagio. Dank, like other members of the local Trump Club, declined to participate in the interview.
Beirut’s Object Lesson of Weaponized Incompetence
The blast that leveled huge swaths of Beirut Tuesday was the result of years of criminal negligence and serves as an object lesson in government incompetence and indifference to public safety–not just in Lebanon.
Vincent Lyon, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Vincent Lyon is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Lyon is running in District 1 against Jill Woolbright.
Jill Woolbright, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Jill Woolbright is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Woolbright is running in District 1 against Vincent Lyon.
No Contest: Unanimous Vote Puts Former Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts Back on the Council for Next 3 Months
Among the three candidates who’d applied to fill the seat Councilman Jack Howell resigned last month, there was no question Jon Netts alone was entirely conversant with the city’s issues and the budget it must vote on in the next few weeks.
Sims Jones, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Sims Jones is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 1–the seat first-term Councilman Bob Cuff elected not to run for again. The seat also drew candidates Ed Danko and Lou Salvagio.
Lou Salvagio, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Lou Salvagio is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 1–the seat first-term Councilman Bob Cuff elected not to run for again. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Voting By Mail Is Safer and Very Popular in Florida, But It May Also Exacerbate Existing Inequalities
Even Floridians who are experienced, in-person voters have a higher chance of having ballots rejected when they switch to voting by mail, according to an analysis by Smith of Florida’s March presidential primary election.
Cheryl Massaro, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Cheryl Massaro is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Massaro is running in District 5 against first-term incumbent Maria Barbosa.
Maria Barbosa, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Maria Barbosa is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Barbosa is running in District 5 against Cheryl Massaro.
Donald O’Brien, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Donald O’Brien, a first-term incumbent, is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 5, facing Bob Jones in the Aug. 18 primary.
Flagler Commissioner Joe Mullins Pays $750 Fine in Settlement of Campaign Finance Violations Claim
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins paid the Florida Elections Commission a $750 fine on April 17 to settle allegations that he had accepted illegal campaign contributions during his 2018 run against then-Commissioner Nate McLaughlin.
Kim Carney, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Kim Carney is candidate for the Flagler County Commission, challenging District 3 incumbent Commissioner Dave Sullivan. The Aug. 18 election is open to all Flagler County registered voters regardless of party or geography.
Dave Sullivan, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Dave Sullivan is an incumbent candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 3, facing Kim Carney in the Aug. 18 primary. All registered Flagler County voters may cast a ballot in the race regardless of address or party affiliation.
Kimberle Weeks, a Convicted Felon 5 Times Over, Is Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail and 18 Months of Probation
The five-year old case against Kimberle Weeks ended today as a circuit judge sentenced the former Flagler County Elections Supervisor to 30 days in jail and 18 months of probation on each of five felony counts of illegally recording and transmitting phone conversations when she was a supervisor.
Bowing to Pressure and Sheriff, Trump Cancels Plans for Jacksonville Convention, Citing Covid ‘Flare-Up’
Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams this week expressed concern about a lack of preparedness for the event, which had long been planned for Charlotte, N.C., but was moved to Jacksonville last month. Mayor Lenny Curry agreed with Williams’ comments.
Alan Lowe, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Alan Lowe is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Jacksonville Sheriff Warns He Can’t Keep GOP Convention Safe. Republicans Move Ahead Anyway.
“Where we are today is we can’t support this plan,” Sheriff Mike Williams, a Republican, said. “Where do we go from here is a good question. But where we are today, we can’t support it.”
Michael Schottey, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Michael Schottey is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Milissa Holland, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Milissa Holland is the Palm Coast mayor, running for re-election. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Settlement in Vote-By-Mail Lawsuit Calls on Supervisors to ‘Maximize’ Convenience
The legal wrangling over mail-in ballots in Florida has come amid a national furor over absentee voting, with the man at the top of the Republican ticket in November railing about vote-by-mail for months.
Supreme Court Refuses to Clear the Way for Felon Voting Rights in Florida
Hundreds of thousands of Florida felons won’t be able to cast ballots in next month’s primary elections, after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to vacate an appellate court’s order in a closely watched legal battle over voting rights.
Don Greene, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Don Greene is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
John Brady, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
John Brady is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
A Candidate’s False Claims Against Mayor Holland Mix With Troubling Email Revelations
Michael Schottey, challenging Milissa Holland for Palm Coast Mayor, made false claims that the FDLE was conducting a criminal investigation but revealed two emails where she mixed city with private business.
Don’t Let Bogus Claims Fool You: Voting By Mail in Flagler County Is Safe and Secure
Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart counters bogus claims and misinformation by explaining the safety, reliability and accuracy of voting by mail.
Statewide Elections Take Shape as Qualifying Ends, With 387 House and Senate Candidates
As Florida Democrats hope to dent Republican majorities in both legislative chambers, the major parties will clash in 96 of 120 state House seats and 17 of 20 Senate contests.
Bexley, Johnston, Gardner and Lenhart Re-Elected Without Opposition in Near-Sweep for Flagler Constitutionals
Three dozen candidates will contest local Flagler County and Palm Coast elections, while Clerk of Court Tom Bexley, Tax Collector Suzanne Johnston, Property Appraiser Jay Gardner, and Elections Supervisor Kaiti Lenhart were re-elected without opposition.
In Georgia, Voter-Suppression Becomes Systematic
What Georgia did Tuesday was criminal, a racist crime against our democracy, and it’s time to criminalize voter suppression once and for all, argues Thom Hartman.
DeSantis Seeks Fast-Track Appeal to Stop Hundreds of Thousands of Felons from Voting
Lawyers for Gov. Ron DeSantis have made a rare move of asking a full appellate court to consider a challenge to a voting-rights ruling that would pave the way for hundreds of thousands of felons to cast ballots in the November elections.
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland Files for Re-Election Amid Crowded Field
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland has drawn four challengers so far, more than any candidate in Flagler’s local races this year. The challengers are John Brady, Don Greene, Alan Lowe and Michael Schottey, all but one newcomers to electoral politics.
Bob Cuff, Palm Coast City Council’s Centering Intellect and Wit, Will Not Run Again
Bob Cuff, the former ITT attorney who won election to the Palm Coast City Council in 2016 and has since been the panel’s most balancing factor, has opted not to run for re-election.
County Elections Supervisors Ordered to Comply With Order Enabling Felons to Vote
The state’s elections director advised county supervisors of elections to be in line with a federal court decision overturning major parts of a 2019 law requiring felons to pay fines, fees, costs and restitution associated with their convictions to be eligible to vote.
Hundreds of Thousands of Florida Felons Cleared to Vote as Federal Judge Strikes Down Poll Tax-Like Law
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle’s highly anticipated ruling also laid out a procedure for state elections officials to determine whether felons seeking to vote have outstanding legal financial obligations and are unable to pay court-ordered debts.
Florida Supreme Court Weighs Wording of Recreational Marijuana Ballot Proposal
An attorney for Make It Legal Florida, said the proposal “piggybacks” on a system resulting from a 2016 constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana in the state. Lawmakers and groups such as the Florida Chamber of Commerce trying to block the measure.
County Elections Supervisors Describe Struggles With Felons’ Voting Law and Lack of Reliable Data
The state lacks a single database where felons, lawyers or elections officials can determine whether people have outstanding court-ordered financial obligations. Florida’s new but restrictive felon-voting law is the subject of a nationally watched trial this week.
Lawsuit Challenging Florida’s “Poll Tax” on Felon Voting Rights Expanded to Hundreds of Thousands
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle issued an order last week after saying he intended to grant class certification to plaintiffs, who allege that the 2019 law amounts to an unconstitutional “poll tax.”
Flagler County’s Crime Rate Falls 19% in 2019, After 22% Drop Year Before; Staly Credits Innovations
Much of the crime drop was in non-violent crimes, burglaries and larcenies especially. Vehicle thefts increased 26 percent despite the increasing use of license-plate readers. Rapes increased, and murders matched the previous year’s total: three.
Flagler Elections Supervisor Kaiti Lenhart Helping to Lead Push for Expansion of Mail Ballots and Early Voting
Flagler County Elections Supervisor Keiti Lenhart is among the Florida supervisors who have asked Gov. Ron DeSantis for emergency measures they say will help them cope with an anticipated “significant statewide shortage” of poll workers later this year because of the coronavirus.