A communications breakdown between state and county elections officials looks like it will cost more than $13,000 in unanticipated expenses that will be picked up by Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Lori Scott out of her taxpayer-funded budget. The glitch was the result of Kourtney Ann Waldron, a write-in candidate for Florida House in District 53, dropping out of the race last month. Waldron on Sept. 11 notified the Florida Department of State’s Division of Elections of her decision to withdraw. But the state did not pass the information on to Scott’s office before ballots were printed a week later. So the local ballots, including absentee ballots, included a line for a write-in candidate in the District 53 race. Scott — who said she found out on Sept. 29 about Waldron’s withdrawal from a voter — decided she needs to inform voters that there no longer is a write-in candidate in the race.
So she mailed postcards to everyone who was sent an absentee ballot, will put an insert in the absentee ballot mailings still to go out, and will put notices at every voting booth during the early-voting period and on Election Day. Total cost: more than $13,000.
Scott said she asked state officials whether the state would pick up the cost, but they said no. “It was not our error.” Scott said. “I personally feel it’s a cost that Brevard taxpayers should not incur.” But it looks like they will. The money will come out of Scott’s budget, funded by county property taxes.
Full Article: State’s write-in glitch costs Brevard $13,000 to fix.