by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
“I still don’t know what department I’m in. It might be produce or it might be dairy,” said Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland as he sat at his desk at 105 E. Monroe St.
The building used to be Downtown’s Winn-Dixie grocery store and no one can remember what items were available on the shelves on the west side of the store. That’s where Holland has his office and conference room.
In addition to providing office space for the supervisor and Duval County elections office staff, the building is also the repository for candidate and ballot records dating back prior to World War II. The older records are preserved in the original paper files.
“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
356-2466