Former grocery store now elections museum

“They’re still here because no one has ever wanted to throw anything away,” said Holland, referring to his predecessors. “It’s a great resource for people who are doing historical research regarding elections and referendums.”

While 2009 isn’t presently expected to be a busy year in terms of ballots — the only election on the calendar is the October general election in Atlantic Beach – Holland said it will still be a busy year for him and his staff. They are updating and verifying the registrations of all 523,630 voters in Duval County, who will each receive a new voter’s registration card in September. In addition, Holland said, he isn’t ruling out the possibility of some special elections this year, especially if State Sen. Tony Hill is appointed to a U.S. ambassadorship. That could cause vacancies in the State Legislature and/or the City Council which would have to be filled.

Holland said one of the best parts of his job is working with both political parties, even though he was elected through a partisan process. That aspect puts a different light on the democratic system for the supervisor and his staff.

“If you’re a candidate or a voter, success in an election is determined by whether you win or lose. For those of us in the Supervisor of Elections Office, we’re successful by having an honest, accurate ballot that reflects the wishes of the people,” he said.

Photo by Max Marbut

mmarbut@baileypub.com

356-2466