by Susan Bottcher, One Alachua County
Update: On 10/8, Circuit Judge Olin Shinholser ruled in a case brought by Keith Perry against the At-Large District referendum that the ballot language was unlawful, but dismissed all other claims made by Perry (i.e., he ruled the County can return to At-Large Districts if specific ballot language is used). The County Commission decided the very same day to appeal the decision, which the County Attorney feels confident about winning. What’s more, Supervisor of Elections Kim Barton has confirmed she will count and certify the results of the referendum. The campaign is going full steam ahead and urges you to vote YES!
In last month’s issue of the Iguana, we laid out the reasons why restoring At-Large Districts (ALD) voting for county commissioners is better for democracy in Alachua County.
In short, it increases your chances of having a majority voice and broader representation on county issues. The newly implemented Single Member Districts (SMD) model is now in place which is why you can vote for only one county commission seat this year. If you live in Districts 2 or 4 you don’t get to vote for any county commissioner this election cycle.
As you’ll recall, in 2022 local Republican operatives used a dark money funded campaign to spew lies and disinformation about what SMD is and what it means to you, as a voter. They claimed it would provide “equal representation, equity, and end racism”. Their ruse worked on just enough people to pass.
We responded with two years of citizen outcry to the county commission asking they place a referendum on the 2024 ballot to return to ALD voting. They heard us and agreed: People need to hear the truth about ALD so they can be fully informed and vote accordingly.
Now that ALD is on the ballot and voters are being educated with actual facts, Sen. Keith Perry has filed a lawsuit to prevent your vote on ALD from being counted. That’s right. You can vote, but he wants the courts to prevent your vote from being counted. And when the Supervisor of Elections does count your votes, Perry is asking the courts to prevent ALD from being implemented.
Perry knows people will vote to restore ALD so is using his power to interfere in a free and fair election. This desperate act to silence you is an abuse of power and a betrayal of the public trust.
In the meantime, they are launching their disinformation campaign, so be prepared.
They claim that under ALD we won’t be able to elect minority candidates to public office. They’ll say there is a better chance of Black representation on the county commission under SMD. The bitter irony and ugly hypocrisy is this comes from the same people who voted to ban books about Black history and critical race theory in Florida.
Its stunning and disrespectful that they turn a blind eye to all the people of color already in office who have been elected throughout Alachua County. Our school board is elected by ALD and is majority-minority.
Our Supervisor of Elections and Property Appraiser are Black women overwhelmingly elected countywide. We elected a Black judge to the 8th Judicial Circuit. The citizens of Hawthorne and Micanopy elected Black women to serve as their mayors. The towns of Archer, High Springs, Alachua, Waldo, and Gainesville have elected Black commissioners.
The system of ALD we have had in place for decades, prior to this new SMD, worked well.
It proved that voters throughout Alachua County will elect people they believe reflect their values and will represent their voices best in all areas of government, especially elevating those from the Black community. Perry and his group want to tell you not believe what you see with your own eyes.
Furthermore, they’re not just trying to interfere with your voting on ALD.
Perry and the wider Republican forces, including Gov. DeSantis, have been working to use the courts to block your right to vote on other citizen-led initiatives.
This specifically includes the referendums that will be on your November ballot to amend our city and county charters and our state constitution: They’re suing to block the Local Public Utilities (LPU) referendum for Gainesville voters and are sending cops to intimidate voters from supporting Amendment 4 that will protect women’s reproductive rights.
Instead of allowing these issues to be settled fairly at the ballot box, they are seeking to use intimidation and the courts to interfere with the democratic process by delaying and blocking the counting of your votes.
Just like your YES votes on Local Public Utilities, your YES vote on ALD must be heard. An overwhelming turnout in favor of these issues will send a strong message.
If we pass ALD this year, in 2026 when two county commission seats are up for consideration, you get to vote for both. Then, in 2028 when three seats are up, you get to vote in all three for a total of five over those two election cycles. More representation is better than less representation.
The campaign for YES on At Large Districts is proud of the endorsements we’ve earned. More are coming in every week and so far include: Alachua County Chapter of the NAACP; Alachua County League of Women Voters; Rep. Yvonne Hinson; Alachua County Central Labor Coalition; Alachua County Democratic Party; North Central Florida AFL-CIO; Tax Collector John Power; School Board members Leanetta McNealy, Tina Certain, and Sarah Rockwell; County Commissioners Anna Prizzia, Mary Alford and Ken Cornell; and former Newberry City Commissioner Alena Lawson Bennett.
You can help increase awareness and build support by putting a YES on At Large Districts sign in your yard. And as with any campaign we need funding to get the truth out. The Perry GOP machine has deep resources, so every dollar you can donate to ALD is meaningful and will be put to good use.
You can request a yard sign and make a donation by visiting OneAlachuaCounty.com or send a check to One Alachua County P.O. Box 358986, Gainesville 32635. Yard signs for ALD and LPU are now available for free at the Democratic Party office 901 NW 8th Ave.