Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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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...
Whether it is the half-anniversary of when the pandemic shutdowns began in full in Lake Wales, the 19th anniversary of September 11th, or listening to the rhetoric with being less than two months from "the most important election in our lifetime," or all of these and much more, life may seem scary and unprecedented these days to some. To the majority of others in the world (and even people in Lake Wales) daily life was extremely challenging before the pandemic, actually...
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...
Sample ballots for the upcoming General Election are now available online at PolkElections.com. "Voters are encouraged to study their choices in advance and bring their sample ballot when they go to vote," said Lori Edwards, Supervisor of Elections. Voters may also request a Vote by Mail ballot or update their voter information online. The deadline to request a Vote by Mail ballot is Oct. 24. For more information, visit PolkElections.com or call the Elections Office at (863)...
Polk County residents who wish to register to vote in the Nov. 3 General Election must do so by Oct. 5. Voter registration forms may be completed online at PolkElections.com or paper copies are available for pick up at many convenient locations throughout the county. Registered voters are reminded to inform the Elections Office of any voter information changes before Election Day. For more information, please visit PolkElections.com or call the Elections Office at (863)...
With all 167 precincts, early votes and mail in ballots tallied, Lori Edwards has coasted to another term in office, an indication that voters are pleased with how she is running the Supervisor of Elections office. The unofficial results are Edwards with 79,210 votes (77.67 percent) to Debbie Hannifan garnering 22,778 votes (22.33 percent). Edwards was the biggest winner of the night. This is not to say this race was without controversy, as her opponent unsuccessfully...
Florida's Statewide Primary Election is Tuesday, Aug. 18, and Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards has some helpful tips for Polk County voters. Voters registered with one of Florida's major political parties will help nominate the candidates who will represent their party on the General Election ballot in November. All voters may vote on important local races. Here are tips to make voting smoother: • Bring photo and signature ID to the polls when you vote • The polls are ope...
Eligible voters may vote in advance of the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary Election at nine convenient locations around Polk County. Early voting in Lake Wales will be at the James P. Austin Community Center, 315 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd N. Early voting begins Aug. 3 and continues through Aug. 15, and will be open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily. Any eligible Polk County voter may cast a ballot at any Early Voting location. Other early voting locations include: Bartow - Polk...
Polk County voters have until Saturday, Aug. 8 to submit a request for a ballot to be mailed for the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary Election. Requests for mail ballots can be made by contacting the Elections Office at (863) 534-5888 or online at PolkElections.com. "No stamp is necessary to return the ballot as the return postage is pre-paid," said Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards. Mail ballots may be returned by mail or dropped off to the Supervisor of Elections Office until 7...
Polk Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards has confirmed "a very small handful of people" have reported problems with their vote by mail return envelopes being sealed shut. Lance Muse contacted LakeWalesNews.net concerned that his vote might not be counted if he repaired the torn envelope with tape. He said his return envelope was totally sealed shut and he could not use it without damaging the seal. He said his wife's ballot was partially sealed shut but they were able to get...
Ballots are now available for eligible voters who wish to vote by mail in Florida's Statewide Primary Election on Aug. 18. No stamp is necessary to return the ballot as the return postage is pre-paid. Voters can request a mail ballot by calling the Elections office at 863-534-5888 or by visiting the Supervisor of Elections website at PolkElections.com. Voted ballots must be returned to the Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m. on Aug. 18....
Lori Edwards, Polk County Supervisor of Elections, reminds voters that there is something for everyone to vote on in the upcoming Aug. 18 election. The Statewide Primary Election ballot includes important non-partisan races. Additionally, members of the Democratic and Republican parties will have the opportunity to choose the candidates representing their party in the November General Election. Florida is a closed primary state. According to Florida law, voters wishing to...
A blue-ribbon committee of residents will spend the next few months reviewing the Lake Wales charter – the document that details how the city is governed – with an eye towards putting any suggested changes in front of voters next spring. The five-person group will conduct all its meetings publicly, and ultimately can only suggest changes. Those suggestions are then considered by the current city commission, and then go on the ballot if they give them a thumbs up. The com...
Qualifying ended Friday, June 12 and four of the five Polk County constitutional officers – Sheriff Grady Judd, Clerk of the Court Stacy Butterfield, Property Appraiser Marsha Faux and Tax Collector Joe Tedder were re-elected without opposition. Twenty-year incumbent Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards will face challenger Debbie Hannifan, a Lakeland Realtor, in the nonpartisan race. Listing no party affiliation, Martin Grenfell qualified to challenge two-term incumbent Distr...
Five days before the April 7 city election, 1,041 Lake Wales citizens had returned their vote by mail ballots. That's about 41 percent of the 2,541 who requested ballots to vote by mail and 82 percent of the total 1,275 who voted by mail in the 2019 city election. Only one race will be decided Tuesday, Seat 5 between incumbent Commissioner Robin Gibson and challenger Bob Wood. Although the Seat 3 race will appear on the ballot, votes won't count because incumbent Commissioner...
The City of Lake Wales continues to be under a declared State of Emergency by Mayor Fultz. There is no curfew at this time. As Covid-19 updates for Florida's residents continue daily, many City of Lake Wales staff have begun working from home, while others continue to work within the City of Lake Wales Municipal Administration Building, 201 West Central Avenue and other facilities. The Lake Wales Municipal Administration Building remains closed to residents and customers until...
The Lake Wales Municipal Election scheduled to take place on Tuesday April 7 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. will go forward with a change. Due to safety concerns related to COVID-19 the polling location originally planned to be at the Municipal Administration Building will be moved to the James P Austin Community Center located at 315 Dr. M. L. King Jr. Blvd. in Lake Wales. The Lake Ashton polling location remains the same. Lake Wales residents in precincts 523, 524, 527, 528, 530, 531...
The Robin Gibson Campaign supports the "strong encouragement" by the Lake Wales city clerk for citizens to vote by mail rather than risk social interaction at the polling places. "Citizens should not lose their right to vote because of concerns about COVID-19," said incumbent Commissioner Robin Gibson in a news release encouraging citizens to vote by mail before the April 7 city election. Gibson said the campaign would like to play a role in facilitating the vote, but...
The deadline is Saturday, March 28 for Lake Wales registered voters to request a vote by mail ballot for the April 7 municipal election. Voters can request the ballot online at PolkElections.com or by calling the elections office at 863-534-5888. Lake Wales voters will be asked to choose between incumbent Commissioner Robin Gibson and challenger Bob Wood for Seat 5. The ballot also will include the Seat 3 race, but those votes won't count as incumbent Commissioner Terrye...
Lake Wales area voters chose Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump as their party candidates for president March 17, with totals that closely mirrored preferences in Polk County and the State of Florida. Just under 85,000 Polk County residents voted in the March 17 Presidential Preference Primary, making voter turnout slightly less than 27 percent. Polk Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards said turnout was about 13 percentage points less than she expected, but given...
Lake Wales registered voters who have moved or changed their name are encouraged to update their record with the Elections Office before the April 7 Municipal Elections. It's also important to notify the Elections Office if your signature has changed. Many changes can be made by calling the Elections Office at (863) 534-5888. Changes can also be made online at PolkElections.com. "An address change may mean a voter has moved into or out of the city limits, an important detail...
Greg Massey says he won't withdraw as a candidate for Lake Wales City Commission despite the likelihood he is ineligible to run because he never had his voting rights restored after felony convictions for second degree murder and armed burglary. "As it stands right now, until the supervisor of elections says I can't run, I'm moving ahead," Massey said. The city charter requires candidates to be registered voters and city residents for at least one year. Massey, 56, moved to...
Lake Wales City Commissioner Terrye Howell has been declared re-elected for another 3-year term following the withdrawal of her opponent Greg Massey. Massey submitted a signed statement to Lake Wales City Clerk Jennifer Nanek Tuesday, March 10 indicating his decision to end his campaign. It is possible Massey would have been ruled ineligible to run since he had a felony conviction for second degree murder and hadn't had his voting rights restored. City officials were awaiting...
