Single Member Districts
for Lee County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC)
Lee County is governed by a five-member Board of County Commissioners. Each Commissioner is elected on a county-wide basis by the electors of the County, under the Lee County Charter, adopted by voters in 1996.
A Vote Yes by a majority of Lee County voters on a November 2026 referendum would change the way Lee County Commissioners are elected from at-large (county-wide) to single-member (voters in their district) beginning with the 2028 election.
Since 1996, Lee County’s population has almost doubled to a population of more than 800,000. Lee County is the 8th largest in population of Florida’s 67 counties. Of the 8 largest counties, only Lee elects County Commissioners on an at-large (county-wide) basis.
In at least 14 of 23 past elections, including 2024, the candidate who won the majority in their district was not elected to the Commission in the county-wide (at-large) election. Single Member Districts in Lee County Detailed Timeline.
The election of the BOCC by single-member districts may:
- Amplify and rise-up community concerns
- Increase individual voter-power
- Uplift accountability and responsiveness to constituents
- Engage more community candidates
The League of Women Voters of Lee County, Inc. and many Lee County community leaders have long supported elections by single-member districts for the Lee Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). The League supports single-member election districts that are equal in population, that provide access for minorities, and, when possible, take local characteristics such as political and geographical boundaries into consideration. Study and Action 2025-2027, page 19, Redistricting and Reapportionment 1980s.