BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Florida’s Republican Presidential Preference Primary is March 19, and early voting begins soon.
Early voting in Bradford County begins Saturday, March 9, and continues through Sunday, March 17, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily in the commission meeting room in the north wing of the courthouse in Starke. Polling locations will be open on the day of the primary, Tuesday, March 19, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
In Union County, early voting is open from Saturday, March 9, through Saturday, March 16, at 175 W. Main St. in Lake Butler. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Polling precincts on primary day will be open on March 19 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
In Clay County, Keystone Heights City Hall will be open for early voting from Friday, March 8, to Saturday, March 16, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Polling precincts on primary day will be open on March 19 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Florida is a closed primary state, and that means only registered Republicans will be choosing who gets their nomination. President Joe Biden was the only name submitted by Florida Democrats, so they will not have a presidential preference primary.
The primary election for other offices will be Aug. 20, with early voting from Aug. 5-18. Election Day is Nov. 5, with early voting from Oct. 21-Nov. 2.
Running in Bradford
Most Bradford County officials with expiring terms in 2024 say they plan on running for office again.
This includes Sheriff Gordon Smith, Supervisor of Elections Amanda Seyfang, Clerk of Court Denny Thompson, Tax Collector Teresa Phillips and Property Appraiser Kenny Clark. Joining that list is Superintendent of Schools Will Hartley and District 4 School Board Member Candace Osteen. The county commissioners from Districts 1, 3 and 5 — Carolyn Spooner, Chris Dougherty and Diane Andrews — have also confirmed reelection runs.
Most have already filed paperwork to run again, and so far, no one is facing a challenger. Without a challenger on the ballot, incumbents who declare their candidacy will automatically retain their offices.
The only elected official retiring from office is District 3 School Board Member Cheryl Canova. No one has filed to run for that seat at this time.
These are all salaried positions with benefits. The state sets the salaries based on county population size. For Fiscal Year 2023-24, the state has set the salary for county commissioners at $38,858 and school board members at $33,044.
Most of the county’s constitutional officers have the same salary. The clerk of courts, supervisor of elections, tax collector and property appraiser salaries were set at $124,849. That is the school superintendent’s salary as well.
The exception is the sheriff, whose salary is set at $162,767.
For information on becoming a candidate, call the elections office at 904-966-6266 to make an appointment and pick up a candidate handbook.
