by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Jerry Holland has yet to be sworn in as the new Supervisor of Elections but ideas that would streamline office procedures while cutting costs have already begun.
Holland, who will be sworn in Thursday to replace interim Supervisor Bill Scheu, told the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Government Affairs Committee Tuesday that a potential special election could be held strictly by mail.
That election, which could repeal an amendment to the Florida Constitution that limits classroom sizes, may not happen at all. But, if it does, Holland said mailing out ballots, as opposed to opening precincts, would cut costs by close to 50 percent.
A standard special election is budgeted at about $1.2 million.
“I want to stress that this is not something I’m saying I definitely want to do,” Holland told the committee, “but I do want to get an idea of what your concerns are and if you think it could work here in Duval County.”
Elections office spokesperson Erin Moody said an election has never been held strictly by mail in Jacksonville, nor has that option ever been formally discussed in the past.
Moody was unaware if any other Florida county had ever exercised a mail-in option.
“But again, I think it’s worth it to see if it’s something we can explore,” Holland said. “There are obviously several issues that would need to be addressed and we wouldn’t move forward on this before we do.”
Among the potential concerns, Holland said, are voters needing assistance — the visually impaired, for example — as well as assuring those in the military would have the same opportunity to cast a ballot as anyone else in the event that the special election became a solely postal operation.
“At this stage, this is just something we’re kicking around,” Holland said. “If it winds up that there are some obstacles we can’t overcome, we’ll move on. And at this time, the debate of whether or not we’re even going to have an election is still in Tallahassee’s hands.”