Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
January 5, 2016 1:00 a.m.
While many of us feel that the 2016 election should be coming to a close, at least on the national level, it is only starting to gear up. There are many local offices up for grabs this year. The information in the table below was taken from the Nassau County Supervisor of Elections website www.votenassau.com and contains information reported as of December 31, 2015. [Not included in this list are non partisan races for: three Heron Isles Development District seats, two Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor seats, and Fernandina Beach City Commission Group 1. No one has filed to run for any of those offices as of this writing.]
In reviewing this list, several things stand out. First of all in almost all partisan races, only Republicans have filed to run. The exception is the Superintendent of Schools, where a Libertarian candidate has filed. There will be more about this phenomenon in a future article.
Secondly, no one has filed yet to run in some races: County Clerk, School Board District 2, Ocean Highway and Port Authority District 1 and Amelia Island Mosquito Control Board District 1.
The most hotly contested races appear at this point to be the Superintendent of Schools race and the County Commissioner District 5 race. In future articles, we will examine these races and the candidates more closely.
Everything you ever wanted to know about running for office—filing, qualifying, financial reporting, etc.—may be found on the Supervisor of Elections website www.votenassau.com. If you are still unclear, you will find that Elections Office staff are knowledgeable and willing to talk with you about your specific questions or the process in general. You may call, visit or email that office, and all your questions will be answered by a friendly, patient staff member.
Lest we forget that there are national and state offices also up for grabs this year, future articles will also try to keep you abreast of candidates in those races.
But for now, the most important date for Nassau County voters to mark on their calendar is February 16, 2016. That is the date the books close in preparation for the Presidential Preference Primary that will be held on March 15, 2016 (with early voting March 4-12). You have up to February 16 to register to vote or to change your party affiliation. You can only vote in a Democrat Primary if you are registered as a Democrat, or in a Republican Primary if you are a registered Republican. You may change your registration, depending on which primary is more important to you. More about that in a future article as well.
As of today, January 1, 2016, there are 58,240 registered voters in Nassau County. Of those, the breakdown is as follows: Democrat, 14,397; Republican, 31,426; Other, 12,417. Look to see those numbers fluctuate as election dates near. Unless more Democrats and “Others” enter the local races, most of the elections will be decided in the summer Republican primary. People who choose to vote will need to balance their party of principle against the practicality of being able to vote in a local election. As things are shaping up, only registered Republicans will be able to decide many important races.
From the figures in the article, just who (or what) is paying for Janet Adkins and Joe Zimmerman?
Mr. Warner,
A simple trip to the Nassau County Supervisor of Elections website will show that almost ALL of my money is either self invested, or from local individuals.
To check the facts, you can see a complete list of donors at http://www.votenassau.com.
Joe – Did the research using your link. You are using your own or local funds. Good for all of us and our community knowing you are your own man. Janet’s comes mostly from outside sources.