The Gainesville Iguana

by Janice Garry

I received my vote by mail ballot and saw the words “Universal Primary Contest” on two choices on the ballot. I had no idea what that meant. So, I did some research and talked with people who know about these things. Let me share what I learned. 

Florida has Universal Primary Contests under some circumstances. Per the Supervisor of Elections of Marion County, that means that if all the candidates for a given seat have the same party affiliation, thus there will be no opposition in the general election, all voters of all parties or voters with no party affiliation can vote for the candidates in the primary election. 

This interview is from a continuing series of transcript excerpts from the collection of the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at the University of Florida.

Julian Pleasants [P] interviewed Judge Charles Burton [B] on April 5, 2001. Burton recounts his firsthand experience serving on the Palm Beach County canvassing board during the disputed 2000 presidential election between George Bush and Al Gore, describing the manual recounts, legal battles, and extraordinary political pressures that surrounded Florida’s vote. Reflecting on the controversy months later, he argues that election officials at every level should have remained nonpartisan, criticizes both political parties for injecting politics into the recount process, and calls for clearer statewide standards, improved voting technology, and greater voter education to restore confidence in elections.

Transcript edited for length and clarity by Beth Grobman; a full transcript of this interview is available at tinyurl.com/iguana2515.

P: How did you come to be a member of the Palm Beach County canvassing board?

B: I was appointed to the bench in May of 2000 by Governor Jeb Bush. Sometime around August, I received a call from our chief judge’s office asking whether I would serve on the canvassing board, which oversees elections. I was told the function of a canvassing board was mostly supervisory, making sure the voting equipment was working properly. I had no idea then what the following November would bring.

by Roxy Nightshade  

Women’s liberation has taken a huge hit in the state of Florida, and other freedoms—along with the right to vote—are now falling with it.  

In June 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned, ending the 49-year constitutional right to abortion, and leaving it up to the states to decide a woman’s right to autonomy over her body. In the “Free” state of Florida, as DeSantis has so proclaimed on the signs as you enter the state on the highway, the “Heartbeat Protection Act” (SB 300) prohibits abortions after 6 weeks of pregnancy, basically banning abortion early in the first trimester. 

Women and the elderly are the fastest growing homeless population demographic. Let’s help them by donating whatever we can now through Labor Day. What’s needed most at this time are the following: New or gently used: hats, sandals, sneakers, shorts and T-shirts for outdoor summertime wear. Reusable water bottles, insect repellent, sunscreen, electrolytes, towels, new undergarments (briefs), tampons. Other needed items can be found at the Grace Marketplace web site: tinyurl.com/iguana2533

Please drop off donations at Grace Marketplace, 3055 NE 28th Dr. (off of NE 39th Ave.) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call the shelter at 352-792-0800 for directions or more information. To arrange for pickup of donations, call Mary Savage at 352-870-2267. This drive is organized by Ceremonial Services for Lifecycle Events in Ocala. 

What follows is a list of candidates that your Central Labor Council of North Central Florida has endorsed thus far this election cycle. We hope that you will join us in supporting these champions for working Floridians.

by Kim Min-seo

For most people, the phrase “career change” means updating a résumé.

For Tom Miller, it means spending months studying the history of sturgeon, contacting caviar producers across multiple continents, enrolling in one of the world’s most respected caviar education programs, and announcing, with complete sincerity, that his next artistic obsession involves tiny black pearls served on a mother-of-pearl spoon.

By Alachua County Democratic Socialists of America

What is capitalism? 

A seemingly simple question, but it is a question that has puzzled radicals and conservatives, academics and working people alike, for centuries now. Adam Smith, the Scottish Enlightenment thinker who provided much of the intellectual foundation for modern capitalism, saw its defining force as one of economic rationalization, efficiency, and the blooming of human potential and wealth through increased production and free trade. 

by Mary Savage

At the invitation of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Social Security Works President Nancy Altman testified in late June before the Senate subcommittee on Social Security, of which Sanders is a ranking member. 

Nancy told the Senate that the projected 2032 Social Security shortfall, which is estimated to be 23-25 percent, is the result of Trump administration policies. 

by Joe Courter

As we move through the normality of the days of our lives, we each have our own windows on the world we live in. There are the ones we have created for ourselves (house, job, family, car; if we are lucky), and the stuff going on in the remote world that has no direct impact on our lives except how much we choose to be aware of it. Many of us are the type of people who crave awareness of what’s going on, and this impacts us because we are bothered by what we are seeing. It affects us, our sense of responsibility; this is OUR government doing all these horrible things. What we are seeing now, in an avalanche of disturbing developments created in the span of one administration, really challenges us to cope, let alone focus on doing our part to find our way out of it.

The Friends of Susan B. Anthony is pleased to announce that Pam Smith will receive the Susan B. Anthony Award at their annual luncheon on Saturday, Aug. 22. Pam has a long history of activism for many different causes: women’s rights and health care, anti-nuclear protests, and environmental issues. She helped to organize the Southeastern Women’s Health Conference here in 1976, where she co-conducted one of the first workshops specifically on child incest. Recently, she was instrumental in founding Gainesville Women for Democracy, which has over 3000 members, and has been a prime mover in the No Kings protests. This luncheon began as an informal birthday party for Susan B. Anthony over forty years ago, and is now held in conjunction with the anniversary of the passage of the 19^th Amendment giving women the right to vote. Each year a local woman is recognized who exemplifies the spirit of Susan B. Anthony. 

The luncheon theme for 2026 is: “Our Vote is Our Voice:  Women’s Political Power.” The featured speaker will be Dr. Teresa Cornacchione, Civic Engagement Coordinator from the Graham Center. 

For further information, and instructions on how to register for the luncheon, please check the website: www.fosba.com or contact Barbara Oberlander at 352-378-6447.

by Donna Waller, President, League of Women Voters of Alachua County

Editors’ note: A previous version of this article included a link to the Democratic Party’s candidate forum. This was an error introduced by the Iguana staff, not something originally included from the League of Women Voters, which is a strictly nonpartisan organization. The error has since been fixed.

We are only a few weeks away from the primary and local elections on Aug. 18. The League of Women Voters wants to make sure that you are ready to vote. Here’s what you need to do and how the LWV can help. 

Everyone who votes on Aug. 18 must be registered by now. If you missed that deadline, be sure you register so that you can vote in the general election in November. If you are registered, you may still request a vote by mail ballot, but do it immediately. The deadline is Aug. 3. Ballots have gone out already. The turnaround time for mine in the mail was a week, so don’t dawdle! Early voting is Aug. 7-15. You may check your voting status through the League’s VOTE411.org site or the Supervisor of Elections Office at votealachua.gov. Make sure your family and friends know all this, too. 

The Iguana recommends:

US Senator: Angie Nixon
US Representative District 3: Seth Harp
Governor and Lieutenant Governor: David Jolly and Gwen Graham
Florida CFO: Annette Taddeo
Florida Agricultural Commissioner: Donald Prichard
Florida State Representative District 21: Antione Fields (or Malik Moore)
Alachua County Commission District 2: Donna Bradbrook (or Tina Certain) 
Alachua County Judge 5: Eric Atria
Alachua County School Board District 1: Hunter Miller
Alachua County School Board District 3: Sarah Rockwell
Gainesville Mayor: Harvey Ward
Gainesville City Commission District 2: Nathan Crabbe
Gainesville City Commission District 3: Casey Willits