Early voting begins August 8 in St. Johns County.
We are down to the final days of what has been a contentious year of campaigning. Several of our key local elected officials will be decided in the August primary—not in the November general election:
- County Commission Districts 2 and 4
- School Board District 1
- City of St. Augustine Commission Seat 5
The City Commission race will appear only on the ballots of voters who live within the City of St. Augustine.
This is not the primary to sit out.
Know Which Races You Can Vote In
This year, our County Commission races are Universal Primary Contests. Because all the candidates in these races are members of the same political party, every registered voter in St. Johns County may vote in them, regardless of party affiliation.
Many voters are confused about districts and which candidates will appear on their ballots.
For School Board, you may vote only for the candidate representing the district in which you live.
County Commission works differently. Commissioners must live in the districts they represent, but they are elected countywide. That means every registered voter in St. Johns County may vote in the District 2 and District 4 County Commission races—not only voters who live in those districts.
There has also been considerable discussion about where County Commission candidates are required to live.
A candidate does not have to live in the district throughout the campaign. The residency requirement must be met before taking office.
That distinction matters in the District 2 race. One candidate lived in District 5 during most of the campaign and recently shared that he moved into District 2 on August 1. Some voters have questioned whether he lives in District 2; he has responded that he does.
Voters can decide for themselves whether the timing of that move matters to them. But the legal question of residency and a voter’s judgment about a candidate’s connection to the district are two different questions.
Don’t Let Someone Else Choose for You
Every election cycle, a LOT of organizations produce voter guides recommending their preferred candidates.
In 2022, I was at a polling location where representatives were distributing three different guides: a Trump Club voter guide, a Republican Executive Committee voter guide and a Republican Liberty Caucus voter guide.
One young man stood there holding all three, trying to decide which one he should follow. Meanwhile, the people distributing them were arguing and shouting at him:
“Use this one!”
“No, use this one!”
If you wait until you arrive at the polls to pick up a voter guide, you have missed your opportunity to cast a genuinely informed vote. You are leaving your choice to another group whose priorities you may or may not share.
Voter guides can provide useful information. But they should be part of your research—not a substitute for doing it.
Look Beyond the Campaign Message
Read the candidates’ answers to questionnaires. Watch the recorded forums. Compare what candidates say to different audiences.
Forums are especially helpful because they reveal more than prepared campaign positions. They can give you a glimpse of how a candidate thinks, communicates and responds when challenged.
Before casting your ballot, consider:
- Does this person represent the values I want on the board?
- Do they demonstrate the character and judgment the office requires?
- Do they understand the responsibilities—and the legal limits—of the position they are seeking?
- What do they stand for, beyond what they oppose?
- What specifically do they want to accomplish to move our county forward?
- Have they explained how their proposals would be implemented and funded?
- Do they have the temperament to work with colleagues, staff and community stakeholders?
- How do they respond when challenged or asked a question they did not anticipate?
- Are their claims supported by facts?
- Are they offering workable solutions, or primarily identifying people and institutions to blame?
- Do they demonstrate a meaningful connection to the district they seek to represent, even though the entire county votes in County Commission races?
- Who is supporting and funding their campaign, and what might those supporters expect from them?
No candidate will agree with you on everything. The question is whether that person has the values, competence, judgment and temperament to govern responsibly.
I have been sent some endorsements for candidates and been asked to share them. I am intentionally not including endorsements, just the forums and tools for you to do your own research.
I have included links below to recorded candidate forums and official election information. Take the time to watch and read them before you cast your ballot.
Then show up—during early voting or on Election Day—and make your own decision.
There was an April Candidate Forum sponsored by the St. Johns County Republican Assembly. I was unable to find a link to the video of that event. If I locate it, I will add to the post.
St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections
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Beth Tate 