In November 2018, 60 percent or 115,896 of Sarasota County voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the county’s charter that required county commissioners to run for election in individual districts.
Voters approved this amendment to ensure that residents in each of the county's five districts had real representation from their communities. Previously, commissioners ran for at-large seats countywide. Now, the five members of the Commission have decided that it doesn’t matter what Sarasota voters want. Another county charter referendum is on the March 8 ballot, and it would overturn single-member districts, reversing the will of Sarasota County voters.
Sarasota County Commissioners put this on the ballot during the March 8 Special Election because they expect low turn-out and are trying to assure they can subvert the will of Sarasota voters who already approved single-member districts. Throughout the country, states and municipalities have proposed legislation to subvert and sabotage elections. And now, the Sarasota County Commission is trying to do the same thing.
Protect the will of Sarasota voters. Vote NO on County Charter Referendum #2.
February 26 is the last day to request a mail-in ballot and the first day of early voting. Early voting runs through Sunday, March 6. Election Day is Tuesday, March 8. For election information, visit www.sarasotavotes.gov
Resources:
- Sample Ballot
- County Charter Referendum #2 ballot language below
SARASOTA COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENT TO CHANGE COUNTY COMMISSION ELECTIONS TO COUNTY-WIDE VOTING
Shall each member of the Board of County Commissioners be elected county-wide, thereby allowing voters to vote for all five County Commissioners as each office comes up for election, rather than voters only being able to elect a single County Commissioner from the district in which the voter resides as presently exists in Article II, Section 2.1A of the Sarasota County Charter?
ENMIENDA A LA CARTA ESTATUTARIA DEL CONDADO DE SARASOTA PARA CAMBIAR LAS ELECCIONES DE LOS COMISIONADOS DEL CONDADO A LA VOTACIÓN EN TODO EL CONDADO
¿Debería cada miembro de la Junta de Comisionados del Condado ser elegido por votantes en todo el condado, de este modo permitiéndoles a los votantes votar por cada uno de los cinco comisionados del condado a medida que el período de servicio de cada puesto se cumpla, en vez de limitar a los votantes a solamente poder elegir a un solo comisionado del condado, del distrito en el que reside el votante, conforme con lo que actualmente existe en el Artículo II, Sección 2.1A de la Carta Estatutaria del condado de Sarasota?
YES, for the Charter amendment
SÍ, a favor de la enmienda a la Carta Estatutaria
NO, against the Charter amendment
NO, en contra de la enmienda a la Carta Estatutaria