During the second quarter of an election year, a huge piece of the election puzzle comes together as candidates reach the final weeks of the qualifying process. The deadline to submit petitions to my office for all county and state candidates is May 19th at noon. Staff will verify and certify all candidate petitions (to date we have reviewed over 20,000 petitions) before candidate qualifying begins at noon June 16th and ends at noon June 20th. During this timeframe, all county candidates (including constitutional officers, county offices and special districts), and state and federal candidates are required to finalize and submit their paperwork and petition certifications or pay a qualifying fee. County candidates may finalize their qualifying at any of our three offices countywide. State and federal candidates file for candidate qualifying with the Division of Elections in Tallahassee.
By the end of the second quarter, work can begin on the ballot for the upcoming August Primary. In the meantime, it will be full steam ahead for the candidates’ campaigns. As a voter, now is the time to start preparing for the elections by getting to know the candidates and to insure that your voter registration is up-to-date. For more information regarding candidates, please visit www.pascovotes.com and click on the “candidates” link.
