While the presidential election is garnering the national headlines, 2008 is a very active election year on both the state and local level. Although it’s not a mayoral or City Council election year, there are plenty of seats opening up on the State Legislature — the Duval Delegation is of particular note in Northeast Florida — and a few Council members have indicated interest.
Monday, we’ll show you who has filed to run for what seat so far. However, the following list of dates are important to note by both the candidates and the voters.
Candidates:
• April 14: Supervisor of Elections Office begins accepting and holding qualifying documents for candidates.
• April 18: “Resign to Run” deadline for federal, judicial, state attorney and public defender candidates.
• April 21: Deadline to certify petition signatures for federal, judicial, state attorney and public defender candidates.
• April 28: Qualifying begins for federal, judicial, state attorney and public defender candidates.
• May 2: Qualifying ends for federal, judicial, state attorney and public defender candidates (noon). Legislative session ends.
• May 4: Deadline for partisan candidates to change party affiliation.
• May 9: Deadline for Florida Department of State to certify qualified candidates.
• May 19: Petitions due for statewide, multi-county, county and district candidates (noon).
• June 6: “Resign to Run” deadline for statewide, multi-county, county and district candidates.
• June 16: Qualifying begins for statewide, multi-county, county and district candidates.
• June 20: Qualifying ends at noon.
• June 27: Deadline for state to certify qualified candidates to the Supervisor of Elections.
• Aug. 21: Deadline for candidates to accept contributions for primary election (midnight).
• Oct. 30: Deadline for candidates to accept contributions for general election (midnight).
Voters:
• April 1: Deadline for Florida Supreme Court to approve ballot initiatives.
• May 8: State write-in absentee ballots are made available to overseas voters.
• July 28: Last day to change party affiliation and to register for Primary Election (books close).
• Aug. 11: Early voting begins for primary election.
• Aug. 20: Last day absentee ballot requests for primary election accepted (5 p.m.).
• Aug. 24: Early voting ends.
• Aug. 26: Primary election, polls open 7 a.m.–7 p.m.
• Sept. 2: Deadline for canvassing board to certify results of primary election.
• Oct. 6: Last day to change party affiliation and to register for general election (books close).
• Oct. 20: Early voting begins for general election.
• Oct. 29: Last day requests for absentee ballots for general election accepted (5 p.m.).
• Nov. 2: Early voting for general election ends.
• Nov. 4: General election, polls open from 7 a.m.–7 p.m.
• Nov. 14: Deadline for receipt of overseas ballots for general election.
• Nov. 16: Deadline for canvassing board to certify official results of general election (noon).
Source: Supervisor of Elections Office