WFTV: Only on 9: U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost demands transparency from elections supervisor
After speaking with Orange County leaders, the Orange County Supervisor of Elections announced the county can add amendments to the November ballot until Aug. 27.
It is critically important that the voters of Orange County make their voices heard and express their will,” Supervisor of Elections Glen Gilzean said in a post.
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U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost is demanding an immediate public meeting from Orange County’s new Supervisor of Elections Glen Gilzean to address mounting concerns over delays risking candidates and initiatives from getting on the November ballot.
Congressman Frost spoke exclusively with Channel 9?s Ashlyn Webb about his concerns with Gilzean’s Office Thursday.
“This puts our democracy here locally in jeopardy. And look, these challenges are significant. They’re not insurmountable. We want to work with the SOE to make sure that people can feel confidence in the elections here in Central Florida. This is about the voters making their voices heard-- no matter what or who they cast their ballot for,” Frost told Eyewitness News.
Frost’s letter to Gilzean was signed by Democrat state and local officials including Rep. Anna Eskamani, Rep. Johanna Lopez, Rep. Rita Harris, Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis, Senator Geraldine Thompson, Senator Victor Torres, Orlando City Commissioner Bakari Burns, Orange County Commissioner Mike Scott, Orange County Commissioner Nicole Wilson, Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore-Russell, Orange County Property Appraiser Amy Mercado, Orange County Commissioner Emily Bonilla and Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph.
rost says many candidates are concerned about making it on the ballot because of weeks-long delays with the signature certification process.
A candidate can file to run for office for free using a petition with a prerequisite number of certified signatures. During the signature certification process, candidates typically check on the status of how many signatures were accepted versus voided by the SOE Office. Frost says Gilzean’s office would not consistently update the Office’s website, so candidates were anxious about qualifying.
“With our previous supervisor of elections, things were updated about every 48 hours almost, and you were able to have a really good up to date count of what your number is,” Rep. Frost told Channel 9?s Ashlyn Webb. “Unfortunately, with the current administration Supervisor of Elections, it wasn’t really being updated at all. Things were being added randomly and really at the last minute. And it put a lot of candidates in a position where they had to make this choice, where, you know, am I going to qualify? Am I not?”
By: Ashlyn Webb
Source: WFTV