Diana Boxer, Gwen Wagner and Janice Garry Guest columnists to The Gainesville Sun
The League of Women Voters of Alachua County and the University of Florida’s Bob Graham Center for Public Service are kicking off the 2022 primary election campaign season by co-sponsoring a live-streamed virtual candidate forum on Sunday, June 26, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
To register, visit https://bit.ly/leagueprimaryforum. Both the League and the Graham Center are nonpartisan and do not endorse candidates but encourage informed and active participation in government. Our goal is to provide all voters with the information needed to cast an informed vote for the primary election.
Attending the virtual forum will provide you the opportunity to hear the candidates present their platform. They will also answer questions developed by the League pertaining to relevant local issues.
Local races in which there are at least two candidates will be invited, including the Eighth Judicial Circuit judge, Alachua County Commission, Alachua County School Board, Gainesville City Commission and the Gainesville mayor. After the forum is over, a recording of it will be available on the League’s YouTube channel and the League’s Facebook page under the "Video" tab.
There were some changes to election laws during the recent legislative session. For accurate, current information, see the Alachua County supervisor of elections' website. At this site, you may register to vote, check your registration status, change your address, request a vote-by-mail ballot or locate your precinct location for in-person voting.
Non-partisan races may be determined in the primary. Therefore, your vote for the primary election may be your only opportunity to voice your choice. The School Board, county and city commissions, mayor and circuit judge races will be determined by a 50% vote.
In addition to partnering with the Graham Center to provide a virtual candidate forum, the Alachua County League is participating in the national League of Women Voters' VOTE411 website. On this site, information about local candidates, the statements each candidate provides about their positions and your specific ballot information will be available. Voting registration or changes may also be accomplished on the site.
The League is gathering candidate information that will be published in mid-July. We encourage you to mark your calendars to take advantage of the information that may assist you with your voting choices.
According to the Florida Division of Elections website, there are 179,922 registered voters in Alachua County. As the late John Lewis stated, “Democracy is not a state. It is an act."
The League of Women Voters of Alachua County encourages each voter to act by ensuring you voice your choice for the primary election. We encourage you to become informed by reading The Sun, by listening to the candidate forum and by going to the VOTE411 website for additional information.
Plan your voting choices. Plan whether you will vote by mail-in-ballot, early voting or voting in person on Aug. 23 at your local precinct. We are privileged to live in a democracy. Your vote is your voice.
Diana Boxer and Gwen Wagner and co-chairs of the Voter Services Committee of the League of Women Voters of Alachua County and Janice Garry is the group’s president.
As published by The Gainesville Sun, May 31. 2022
See the original article here: https://www.gainesville.com/story/opinion/2022/05/31/league-women-voters...
