Voting In Florida ( it's a complicated ballot)

 Although the date for the the General Election in 3rd November 2020 I voted yesterday, for reasons I'll explain below.


In truth I did not vote by mail.  "Just to be sure" I submitted my ballot in a sealed and signed envelope to the Office of the Supervisor of Elections;  at 11:00 a.m. yesterday.

There were no queues, but I was one of a steady stream of early voters. The voting drop-box  "guarded " by an employee was wonderfully just inside the door. No walking long corridors!

What a ballot it is




Three pages of optical reader ballot forms  (one of the above is double sided); with a total thirty one political, public service; and referendum questions on which to vote.

Can you imagine the long queues on election day, with voters hauling A4 sheets of paper out of their pockets to remind them of how they planned to place 31 votes!.  I voted early in the peace and quiet of my home.


Voting was of course for President and Vice-President; for our Representative in Congress; for State Attorney; State Senator; State Representative; County Commissioner; City Commissioner; Charter Review Board - six ballots to elect six members); Hospital Board, four ballots. (We have a superb not for profit hospital in Sarasota which is (very minimally) funded by tax dollars); and the list goes on.


I knew without question how I would vote for the major offices; I did some research on more local offices; and for the lesser offices I voted the party line.

Then came a tricky part -  the referendum questions.

In truth two were no-brainers. Both the County and the City sought approval for property tax exemptions to attract new businesses,  and perhaps provide employment. (Past experiences suggest a BIG perhaps ).  A CLEAR NO VOTE. Capitalists must take their own risks in business, and not subsided through lower taxes.  If  their taxes are reduced whose must be increased to pay the bills?


BUT WAIT, THERE IS MORE!!

In Florida we can attempt to amend the State Constitution by referendum in General Election years.

This year there are six such proposed amendments.  They are often craftily written,  to beguile the unwary as to what they will or will not accomplish.

In deciding whether to give the six proposals a thumbs up or a thumbs down I gladly relied on the advice of the League of Women Voters;  a respected and utterly non-partisan source.

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P.S.  There have been threats by White Nationalist groups to attempt to intimidate voters on 3rd Nov  -  threats which the President is not inclined to disavow. No surprises there,





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