Pasco Reporter

 

A New Year’s Resolution: Be an Engaged Voter

In the midst of the holidays and in the wake of a new year, the November election already seems far behind us. In retrospect, it has been a very productive and rewarding year. In the final analysis, I am proud to say that my staff and I fulfilled our promise of delivering another transparent, trouble-free, and secure election with timely and accurate results.

With the start of the New Year and the vote-by-mail laws that went into effect in 2021, if you had a vote-by-mail request on file, it has been removed following the 2022 general election. You will be required to request a vote-by-mail for the 2023 municipal elections and/or the 2024 election cycle. Requests can be made online at PascoVotes.gov or by calling my office at 800-851-8754.

Candidate qualifying for the April 11, 2023, municipal elections in five of six Pasco County municipalities, will begin February 7th. The town of St. Leo and the cities of San Antonio and Zephyrhills have council or commission seats open. In addition, the cities of New Port Richey, Port Richey, and Zephyrhills will also be electing a mayor.

Aside from the standard requirements of voter eligibility, to vote in a municipal election, you must reside within the legal city limits. This does not include owning a business within city limits, and eligibility cannot be assumed based solely on the city of your mailing address. For any questions regarding your eligibility to vote in the upcoming municipal elections, please call my office at 800-851-8754.

Sample ballots for the 2023 municipal elections will be available online at PascoVotes.gov after candidate qualifying, which ends February 14th. At the request of the municipalities, there is no early voting for municipal elections; however, in-house voting will be available at city halls beginning March 6th through April 10th.

Historically, the turnout has been low for municipal elections. However, voting in a municipal election for those eligible voters should be a priority given the direct impact that local elected officials have on the daily lives of citizens.

 

 

 

 

Original source can be found here.