An average of about 80 vote-by-mail ballots per day for the city of Apopka election are arriving at the Orange County supervisor of elections office.
As of the close of business on Wednesday, February 21, 910 ballots have already been sent back in. That’s nearly 18 percent percent of the 5,159 vote-by-mail ballots requested for the March 13 city election.
While the city election is non-partisan, Republicans have been quicker to get their vote-by-mail ballots – formerly known as absentee ballots – back to Cowles’ office as 449 of the 910 are from members of the GOP. There have been 317 Democrats who have sent their ballots back in, while 144 others have done so.
The ballots were mailed from Cowles’ office on February 6, and include all 10 candidates for the three city offices that are up for election – mayor, and Seat 1 and Seat 2 on the City Council.
A sample ballot postcard will be mailed out some time around March 1, Cowles said as early voting for the Apopka election will be held Monday, March 5, through Friday, March 9, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at his office at 119 W. Kaley St., Orlando.
There are 31,202 registered voters in Apopka and more than 12,400 of them will vote in a new precinct, as the city will have two polling places for the first time in city history.
The new voting site for Precinct 9204 is at the Northwest Recreation Complex administrative office at 3710 Jason Dwelley Parkway. The office is next to the tennis courts at the large complex.
The other voting site, Precinct 9104, will be the traditional place at the Apopka Community Center/VFW at 519 S. Central Avenue.
The City Council approved the use of two precincts at a meeting last October and in December gave the OK for the map that will delineate where each voter must cast his or her ballot.
The map divides the city into basic north and south precincts with all of the new precinct – No. 9204 – north of U.S. Highway 441 and most of traditional precinct No. 9104 south of U.S. 441, although parts of downtown Apopka and all of Errol Estate are in the traditional precinct, as well.
On the ballot will be the race for mayor and two city commissioner races.
Mayor Joe Kilsheimer, who is finishing up his first four-year term as the city’s CEO, faces a challenge from Bryan Nelson, current Orange County commissioner from District 2, which is the Apopka and Northwest Orange County area. The mayor’s salary is $150,000.
Running for Seat 1 on the City Council are: Suzanne Kidd, Gene Knight, Theresa Mott, and Alexander Smith. All four will be looking to replace longtime City Commissioner Billie Dean, who is not running for re-election.
Seat 2 Commissioner Diane Velazquez has three opponents, Leroy Bell, Alicia Koutsoulieris, and Alice Nolan.
The salary for city commissioners is $13,500.
Thanks to a new state law, voter registration and other changes to current registrations can now be done online at registertovoteflorida.gov for those who have either a Florida driver’s license or a state-issued identification card, Cowles said.
This story appears in its entirety starting on page 1A of the Friday, February 23, issue of The Apopka Chief.
