Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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A one-vote margin in a Lake Wales election between incumbent Commissioner Daniel Williams and challenger Brandon Alvarado has cast a bright light upon the processes required in the situation by city ordinance and Florida statutes that Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson called "unbelievably complicated." The three-way race for a new three-year term on the District 2 seat of the city commission ended Tuesday with Williams and Alvarado as the top two vote-getters collecting 939 and 938...
A last-minute wave of text messages paid for by a "dark money" political action committee in Venice have targeted at least one challenger in a city commission race on the eve of the April 2 election. Carol Gillespie, who is challenging incumbent City Commissioner Danny Krueger, has been the target of what a campaign spokesperson called "an ugly and false smear campaign" by an out-of-town political action committee. The text messages from "Keep Florida Winning" highlight...
Lake Wales voters have been receiving postcards from an out-of-town Political Action Committee that appear to falsely imply that Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd has endorsed a candidate in the city commission District 4 race. Judd said that's not the case. The mailers feature a photo of Judd standing next to a grinning Danny Krueger, suggesting that Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd is endorsing City Commissioner Danny Krueger's bid for re-election in Tuesday's vote. "I'm not...
Mail ballots are now available for registered voters who reside in the City of Lake Wales, as well as voters in Davenport, Dundee, and Haines City who would like to vote by mail in the April 2 Municipal Elections. Lake Wales voters will have an opportunity to choose two commissioners from five candidates seeking seats on the city commission. "No stamp is necessary to return the ballot as the return postage is pre-paid," said Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards. Voters can...
Florida's General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and all polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. As of Oct. 27, 112,310 of the 166,116 vote by mail ballots requested had been returned for counting. Another 74,827 voted early. Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards has some important tips to keep in mind as workers and voters employ safe practices when voting. Precautions to protect voters and workers from COVID-19 mean less voters may be allowed in each polling location at one time. Face masks are encoura...
Polk County voters who have moved or changed their name are encouraged to update their record with the Elections Office before the March 19th Presidential Preference Primary Election. It’s also important to notify the Elections Office if your signature has changed. The City of Lake Wales municipal elections will follow on April 2, so making certain your voter record is correct will avoid any problems in voting. Many changes can be made by calling the Elections Office at (...
A forum to hear from four candidates for the Lake Wales City Commission is planned for mid-March to allow voters to learn about the goals and platforms prior to the April 4 election. Two seats on the five-person commission are at stake in the vote. The American Association of University Women Lake Wales Branch will join with the GFWC Woman's Club of Lake Wales in sponsoring the forum on March 13th. The candidates for the two seats include Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson, who will...
Working to conduct safe and fair elections is a contribution toward protecting our democracy, and now Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards offering citizens an opportunity to be a part of that process. Edward will be hosting an informational meeting in Lake Wales for anyone interested in serving as an election worker. The one-hour meeting will be held Tuesday, February 28th at 10:00 am at the James P Austin Community Center at 315 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd....
Four $1,200 scholarships will be offered to Florida students in 2023 by Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards. Edwards has offered the scholarships each year for a number of years, part of her effort to encourage higher and engagement with government by Polk students. The scholarship will go to those currently enrolled in a senior college of university in Florida. Those students are typically not eligible for scholarships, which often go to those entering college...
Polk County voters have three easy ways to vote in the November 8th General Election, according to Supervisor of Elections, Lori Edwards: At your Precinct. Polling locations will be open from 7 am until 7 pm on Election Day. Vote by Mail. Requests can be made by calling the Elections Office or visiting PolkElections.gov. The last day voters can request a ballot to be mailed for this election is Saturday, October 29th. All mail ballots must be returned to the Supervisor of...
Polk Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards is reminding new residents and those who may have been purged from voting rolls to check their registration status now, as time is running out to be sure you are eligible to vote in the in the November 8th General Election. Polk County residents who wish to change their residence address or other information must do so by October 11th. Multiple important issues, include races for US Senator and Florida Governor, local races,...
The August 23 "Primary" election will be the "final" election for candidates in four heated Polk School Board races, as well as those seeking judicial slots. Voters are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the issues and cast their ballots early, by mail, or on election day. Those wishing to vote early in southeast Polk may visit the Lake Wales Tourist Club at 205 North 5th Street. That location is between the playground at Crystal Lake Park and the City Tennis Courts on...
Ballots are now available for eligible voters who wish to vote by mail in Florida's Statewide Primary Election on August 23rd. The Primary Election will be decisive in four local school board races and a judgeship as well as the selection of major party nominees for governor, US senator, and other statewide offices. Voters can request a mail ballot by phoning Election Headquarters at (863) 534-5888 or by visiting the Supervisor of Elections website at PolkElections.gov. If...
Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards advises residents to watch for their new Voter Information Cards which have been mailed to more than 450,000 voters. When the new cards arrive, voters should confirm that all the information is correct including: · Name; · Residence Address; · Party Affiliation; and, · Date of Birth "While the new cards are not required to cast a ballot, they provide helpful information to voters, including the location of their polling pla...
An anonymous YouTube post surfaced Saturday attacking mayoral candidate Curtis Gibson with a video his campaign manager said he'd created more than a decade ago, when he was an aspiring professional wrestler. In the video, which was viewed dozens of times within hours Saturday, Gibson appears threatening and uses offensive slang. Chevon Baccus, his campaign manager, said he was acting in character as Bad Boy, his wrestling persona, before an upcoming match. An email sent to...
Municipal elections will be held April 5, and Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards has some important tips to keep in mind as workers and voters employ safe practices when voting. Precautions to protect voters and workers from COVID-19 mean less voters may be allowed in each polling location at one time. Face masks are encouraged, but not required for voters in the polling room. Election staff, however, will be wearing face masks and/or face shields. Voters may...
Several new large-scale residential developments took shape in presentations heard by the Lake Wales City Commission during their Wednesday workshop, at which only three commissioners were present. The poor attendance at two meetings this week prompted complaints from Mayor Eugene Fultz. The rapid growth of Lake Wales in the face of multiple large-scale development projects has concerned many citizens as judged by questions submitted at recent elections forums. The latest...
Multiple paid positions are open to help run the elections process in Polk County this election year, according to Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards. Polk County residents are invited to apply to become election workers during an informational meeting scheduled for Wednesday, February 2nd. "These are paid positions working at polling places on Election Day," explained Edwards. The informational meeting will be held beginning at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, February 2nd at the...
Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards announced today that the Florida Supervisors of Elections (FSE) will award four $1,200 scholarships to Florida students in 2022. Applicants must be: - Registered to vote in the State of Florida - Be a Citizen of the United States - Enrolled as a full-time student in a senior college or university in Florida - Majoring in Political Science/Public or Business Administration or Journalism/Mass Communications Applicants must also...
The Polk County Supervisor of Elections will join in a nationwide effort to register voters on Tuesday, September 28th in celebration of National Voter Registration Day. Registration tables will be available at seven locations around Polk County. New voters will have the opportunity to register to vote, and current voters will be able to update their record if they have moved, or changed their name. October 4th is the deadline to register to vote in Polk County’s November 2nd Municipal Elections in Fort Meade, Lakeland and W...
Polk County residents are invited to apply to become election workers during an informational meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 23rd. “These are paid positions working at polling places on Election Day,” explained Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards. The meetings will be held at 10:00 am and 6:00 pm at the Election Operations Center, 70 Florida Citrus Boulevard, Winter Haven and no reservation is required. Voters who have served as election workers in Polk County in recent years are welcome but do not need to att...
Voters in the Tuesday, April 6 Lake Wales municipal election may look up their polling location at PolkElections.com. "Polling locations may be different for city elections, so it's a good idea to double check before heading to the polls," said Lori Edwards, Polk County's Supervisor of Elections. The two Lake Wales locations are the Lake Ashton Clubhouse and the James P. Austin Community Center. Voters may click on "Voter Lookup" at PolkElections.com to find their polling...
The Polk County Democratic Executive Committee organizational meeting & election was held Monday, Dec. 7 via the ZOOM online platform and also live on Facebook. Elected to serve as the 2020-2022 Board Officers include: Catherine Price, Chair; Veysel Dokur, 1st Vice-Chair; Jiwa Farrell, 2nd Vice-Chair, Polly Burkhart, Secretary; Norman Wilderson, Sergeant-At-Arms and Cindy Ransbottom, Treasurer. Also elected to serve from 2020-2024 were Karen Welzel, State Committeewoman, and...
The public is invited to "ask an expert" when they attend a virtual elections security forum this Thursday, Oct. 29. The event is being held to discuss voter concerns about the safety and conduct of the general election. Panelists for the 7 p.m. event will include Polk Elections Supervisor Lori Edwards, Polk Sheriff's Department Chief of Staff Steve Lester, and voting rights expert Sam Coodley. JC Martin, chair of the Polk Republicans, and Dr. Kathie Sutherland, chair of the...
Polk County voters have three easy ways to vote in the Nov. 3 General Election, according to Supervisor of Elections, Lori Edwards. 1. At your Precinct. Polling locations will be open from 7 a.m.- 7 p.m. on Election Day. 2. Vote by Mail. Requests can be made by calling the Elections Office or visiting PolkElections.com. The last day voters can request a mail ballot to be mailed for this election is Saturday, Oct. 24. All mail ballots must be returned to the Supervisor of...
