Early voting begins today for special District 28 election
July 27th, 2009 by TCPalm.comThe week-long process called early voting, where ballots are cast on optical scan equipment at county elections headquarters and a couple other locations, kicks off Monday morning for the special state Senate District 28 election.
Elections officials will oversee early voting at the main office in each county. St. Lucie and Palm Beach counties will open secondary locations, at the Port St. Lucie City Hall and the North County Courthouse in Palm Beach Gardens.
As of Friday morning, election officials reported 19,802 voters in Florida’s Senate District 28 have cast their votes, using the vote by mail ballots, since the start of the month for the Aug. 4 special election to replace retiring Sen. Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie.
Republicans have accounted for 13,054 of those returned ballots, while Democrats have submitted 4,666, according to elections offices throughout the district.
Both candidates on the ballot, Democrat Bill Ramos of Jensen Beach and Republican Joe Negron of Stuart, have been pushing the vote-by-mail method.
Despite the appearance of a lead in the returns, Negron this week implored his supporters to step up their efforts to collect absentee ballots, claiming the left-leaning Moveon.org has “sent operatives into Senate District 28 to help turn out the vote.”
The overall number of submitted mail-in votes already accounts for 5.5 percent of the 360,039 registered voters in the district.
Martin County Supervisor of Elections Vicki Davis, projecting a 22 percent turnout for the election, expects the early voting week will attract about 1.5 percent of the county’s voters.
Indian River County Supervisor of Elections Kay Clem estimates the election will draw 15 percent of the voters.
St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections Gertrude Walker, noting the lack of publicity surrounding the election, declined to project a turnout, just saying “low.”
Other than going to the elections office and picking up a vote-by-mail ballot in person, the last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot is July 29.
On Aug. 4, the 204 polling locations within the district will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where to vote:
Early voting
Indian River County
Days: July 27-Aug. 1
Time: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Location: Supervisor of Elections Office, 4375 43rd Ave., Vero Beach
For information: (772) 226-3440
St. Lucie County
Days: July 27-Aug. 1
Time: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Locations: Supervisor of Elections, Main Office, 4132 Okeechobee Road, Fort Pierce
Port St. Lucie Community Center, City Hall Complex, 2195 S.E. Airoso Blvd., Port St. Lucie
For information: (772) 462-1500
Martin County
Days: July 27-Aug. 1
Time: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Location: Election Center, 135 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Stuart
For information: (772) 288-5637
Palm Beach County
Days: July 27-Aug. 2
Time: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (Monday through Friday) 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday)
Locations: Supervisor of Elections North County Office, 3188 PGA Blvd., Room 2401, Palm Beach Gardens
Supervisor of Elections Main Office, 240 S. Military Trail, West Palm Beach
For information: (561) 656-6200
Okeechobee County
Days: July 27-Aug. 1
Time: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Location: Supervisor of Elections Main Office, 307 N.W. Second St,, Okeechobee
For information: (863) 763-4014
Who is on the ballot
Bill Ramos
Age: 50
Party: Democrat
Political history: Ran for state House District 81 in 2006 (losing to Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, 54 percent to 46 percent) and in 2008 (defeated in primary by eventual winner, Rep. Adam Fetterman, D-Port St. Lucie, 60 percent to 40 percent)
Occupation: Mortgage broker and consultant
Civic involvement: Martin County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, Martin County Community Development Block Grant Citizen Advisory Task Force, Whole Child Connection board, and Salute U.S. board
Family: wife, Carlyn, and five children
Joe Negron
Age: 47
Party: Republican
Political history: Topped a four-way Republican primary for state House District 82, but lost the run-off election 55 percent to 45 percent to Rep. Tom Warner, R-Stuart. Defeated by Art Argenio in Republican primary for state House District 82 in 1999 special election. He took 41 percent of the vote to win three-way primary for District 82 seat in 2000 against Argenio and David Traill, before defeating a write-in candidate in the general election with 99.7 percent of the vote. He was returned to office in 2002 and 2004 without facing opposition. In 2006 ran for state attorney general, but dropped out before the primary, endorsing eventually winner Bill McCullom. Defeated by U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Palm Beach Gardens, 50 percent to 48 percent, in 2006 run for Florida’s 16th Congressional District. Negron’s name did not appearing on ballot because of the time of the resignation of Rep. Mark Foley, R-Palm Beach.
Occupation: Attorney
Civic involvement: Chairman, Safe Florida Foundation
Family: wife, Rebecca, three children
Where they stand
State paying for social services
Negron: Should be handled by religious and non-profit groups
Ramos: Should be state responsibility
Health care
Negron: Supports Gov. Charlie Crist’s proposal to allow small businesses in Florida to join together for coverage
Ramos: Supports the need for a uniform federal health care program
Immigration
Negron: Favors sanctions against employers hiring illegal aliens
Ramos: Says government needs to enforce existing laws
Oil drilling off Florida’s coast
Negron: Opposed
Ramos: Opposed
Indian Street Bridge — Stuart to Palm City
Negron: Support
Ramos: Opposed
Hometown Democracy amendment
Negron: Opposed
Ramos: Support
Taxpayer Protection Act
Negron: Support
Ramos: Opposed
Grading the current Legislature
Negron: B
Ramos: F
State Senate Bill 360 — eliminating state review of regional development
Negron: Opposed
Ramos: Opposed
Internet sales tax
Negron: Opposed, unless repeal is deemed revenue neutral
Ramos: Open to study
By Jim Turner, TCPalm.com
Tags: democrat, district 28, election, republican, senate, special, turnout, voting
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