by joe courter
This is the last Iguana until the election, so what follows will be a summary and voter recommendations. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 9, and this includes both address changes and new registrations. Absentee ballots can be requested until Oct. 31. Early voting starts on Oct. 27, and, of course, Election Day is Nov. 6.
However you choose to vote for President, and I know there are folks reading this who have problems with the “lesser of two evils” situation we seem to be in, please do vote. The local races are pivotal for continuing the progressive direction we’ve been taking in our County.
While the Iguana has endorsed a Republican or two in the past, we advocate the Democratic line down the ballot, with the one option for a protest vote by writing in “Rob Brinkman” in the State Representative District 20 race should that be on your ballot.
The ballot is four pages, so please persevere through to the end, as the LAST question deals with renewing the one mil tax, which provides for funding school nurses, music programs, technology and libraries, to which we say emphatically YES.
The Ballot – Page One
In addition to the President, Senators, Representatives, Sheriff and School Board (YES to Leanetta McNealy), we say retain the Supreme Court Justices… Do you want Rick Scott and this Legislature to appoint replacements?
The Ballot – Pages Two and Three
All Florida Legislature Amendments to the Constitution, and we say NO to them all.
The Ballot – Page Four
There are three more amendments from the Legislature, and again NO to them all EXCEPT for #11, which is a tax break for low income, long time homeowners on their Homestead Exemption.
There are two Alachua County items here, too. One is the “Fix Our Roads” tax, which is too non-specific, so we say NO. The second is the previously mentioned one mil education tax renewal, which we say YES to.
More details on the issues and candidates can be found at the Supervisor of Elections website, or from the League of Women Voters. You can also get all the contact information for the candidates here. Please get registered, get others registered, and work to get out the vote, or at the least get yourself out to vote in whichever way you choose.