Today is election day for the 2022 General Election with Lee County voters facing a ballot plump with federal, state and local races as well as two local referendums and proposed amendments to the state constitution.

Among the local races are four at-large Cape Coral City Council races — mayor and District 1, 4 and 6. Cape voters may cast a ballot in each race.

Due to countywide damage wrought by Hurricane Ian, Lee County, which usually offers 97 precinct locations on Election Day, will only have a dozen countywide with a 13th in Boca Grande.

The polls opened at 7 a.m. Voters started queuing up early and lines were seen almost from the start.

“Yes, there are lines,” the Supervisor of Elections Office said via email in response to an early morning Breeze Newspapers query. “We are expecting there to be lines today.”

As of a 9:10 update this morning, the Supervisor of Elections Office reported that 236,931 Lee County voters — 45.74 percent — had cast a ballot: 134,397 by mail, 102,378 by early voting. There were 156 provisional ballots.

Supervisor of Election Tommy Doyle had repeatedly urged early voting for those who chose not to vote by mail since it became evident that the office couldn’t secure its usual polling sites and personnel with Gov. Ron DeSantis issuing an executive order to expand early voting in Lee, Charlotte and Sarasota counties due to storm impacts.

The polls will be until 7 p.m. Voters in line at 7 p.m. will still be permitted to vote today.

Voting locations, for both Early Voting and Election Day, include:

• Cape Coral-Lee County Public Library – 921 Southwest 39th Terrace, Cape Coral

• Lee County Elections Cape Coral Branch Office – 1039 Southeast 9th Ave.

• Northwest Regional Library – 519 Chiquita Blvd. N., Cape Coral

• North Fort Myers Recreation Center – 2000 N. Recreation Parkway

• Wa-Ke Hatchee Park Recreation Center – 16706 Bass Road, Fort Myers

• Schandler Park Suarez Hall – 419 Royal Palm Park Road, Fort Myers

• Lee County Elections Center – 13180 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers

• Fort Myers Regional Library – 1651 Lee St.

• Veterans Park Recreation Center- 55 Homestead Road S., Lehigh Acres

• East County Regional Library – 881 Gunnery Road N., Lehigh Acres

• Estero Recreation Center – 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd., Estero

• Lee County Elections Bonita Springs Branch – 25987 S. Tamiami Trail #105

You may vote at any location.

Florida law requires voters to provide picture and signature identification when voting in person. For a list of acceptable forms of identification, visit www.lee.vote/Election-Information/Voting-ID-Requirements.

Voters may also drop off their Vote-by-Mail Ballot at an office of the Lee County Supervisor of Elections only, from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For a list of office locations, visit https://www.lee.vote/Contact-Us.

Citing state law, election officials added that Vote-by-Mail ballots received after 7 p.m. on Nov. 8, are ineligible to be counted.

Voters may find their customized Sample Ballot online at www.lee.vote/Election-Information/Sample-Ballots.

So, what does Doyle want voters in the county to know when it comes to the office and its goal to tally votes of all kinds (in person or by mail) accurately and timely?

“We are making voting as accessible as possible for the voters of Lee County in the wake of a natural disaster,” Doyle said. “Voters can be confident that the Nov. 8 General Election will be a safe, secure, and accurate election.”

Upcoming races, as listed on the General Election ballot, include:

• U.S. Senator:

Incumbent Marco Rubio (REP) faces Val Demings (DEM), Dennis Misigoy (LPF), Steven B. Grant (NPA), Tuan TQ Nguyen (NPA), or write-in.

• Representative in Congress District 17

Incumbent Greg Steube (REP) faces Andrea Doria Kale (DEM) and Theodore “Pink Tie” Murray (NPA).

• Representative in Congress District 19

Incumbent Byron Donalds (REP) faces Cindy Banyai (DEM) and a write-in.

• Governor and Lieutenant Governor

Incumbent Ron DeSantis and Jeanette Nunez (REP) face Charlie Crist and Karla Hernandez (DEM), Hector Roos and Jerry “Tub” Rorabaugh (LPF), and Carmen Jackie Gimenez and Kyle “KC” Gibson (NPA).

• Attorney General

Incumbent Ashley Moody (REP) faces Aramis Ayala (DEM).

• Chief Financial Officer

Incumbent Jimmy Patronis (REP) faces Adam Hattersley (DEM).

• Commissioner of Agriculture

Wilton Simpson (REP) and Naomi Esther Blemur (DEM) are vying for the seat.

• State Senator District 27

Incumbent Ben Albritton Jr. (REP) faces Christopher Proia (DEM).

• State Senator District 33

Jonathan Martin (REP) faces a write-in.

• State Representative District 77

Incumbent Tiffany Esposito (REP) faces Eric Engelhart (DEM).

• State Representative District 78

Incumbent Jenna Persons-Mulicka (REP) faces Howard Sapp (DEM).

• State Representative District 80

Incumbent Adam Botana (REP) faces Mitchel Schlayer (DEM)

• Cape Coral City Council

Cape Coral City Council races are non-partisan.

Mayor

Incumbent John Gunter faces Tom Shadrach.

Cape Coral District 1

Carol Rae Culliton and Bill Steinke are vying for the seat

Cape Coral District 4

Incumbent Jennifer I. Nelson faces Patty L. Cummings.

Cape Coral District 6

Incumbent Keith Long faces Wayne Hecht

Cape Coral City Council members, including the mayor, are elected at-large, meaning everyone can cast a ballot regardless of the district in which they live.

• Lee County Board of County Commissioners: Districts 2, 4 and 5

District 2

Incumbent Commissioner Cecil L. Pendergrass (REP) faces a write-in.

District 4

Incumbent Brian Hamman (REP) faces a write-in.

District 5

Incumbent Mike Greenwell (REP) faces Matthew “Matt” Wood (DEM) and a write-in.

• Lee County School Board: Districts 1, 4 and 6

School board seats are non-partisan.

District 1

Kathy Fanny and Sam Fisher are running in District 1

District 4

Incumbent Debbie Jordan faces Dan Severson in District 4

District 6

Jada Langford Fleming and Denise Nystrom are running in District 6, which is an at-large seat and appears on ballots countywide

Cape Coral voters will also decide one referendum with voters countywide deciding another.

The ballot language for the city referendum, which would give Cape Coral City Council the authority to approve property tax exemptions to new and existing businesses that invest in the city and create jobs and meet criteria established by state statute, is:

City of Cape Coral Referendum

Providing City Council with the Authority to Grant Economic Development Ad Valorem Exemptions

Shall the City Council of the City of Cape Coral be authorized to grant, pursuant to Section 3, Article VII of the State Constitution, property tax exemptions to new businesses and expansions of existing businesses that are expected to create new, full‐time jobs in the City?

Yes – For authority to grant exemptions

No – Against authority to grant exemptions

Voters countywide will decide whether to make Lee County’s superintendent of schools an elective, rather than appointed post.

The ballot language reads:

Lee School District Referendum

“Repealing Resolution Providing for an Appointed, Rather than an Elected, Superintendent of Schools

“Currently, by resolution of the Lee County School Board, the Superintendent of Schools for the Lee County School District is an appointed, rather than an elected, position. Shall Chapter 2022‐233, Laws of Florida, which repeals the aforesaid resolution and provides that the Superintendent of Schools shall no longer be appointed by the Lee County School Board, but rather shall be elected in a partisan election by vote of qualified electors residing in Lee County for a term of 4 years, beginning with the 2024 general election, become effective?”

Yes

No

There also are three proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot:

• No. 1 Constitutional Amendment

Article VII, Section 4; Article XII, Section 42

Limitation on the Assessment of Real Property Used for Resident Purposes

Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution, effective January 1, 2023, to authorize the Legislature, by general law, to prohibit the consideration of any change or improvement made to real property used for residential purposes to improve the property’s resistance to flood damage in determining the assessed value of such property for ad valorem taxation purposes

Yes

No

• No. 2 Constitutional Amendment

Article II, Section 5; Article XI, Sections 2 and 5

Abolishing the Constitution Revision Commission

Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to abolish the Constitution Revision Commission, which meets at 20-year intervals and is scheduled to next

convene in 2037, as a method of submitting proposed amendments or revisions to the State Constitution to electors of the state for approval. This amendment does not affect the ability to revise or amend the State Constitution through citizen initiative, constitutional convention, the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, or legislative joint resolution.

Yes

No

• No. 3 Constitutional Amendment

Article VII, Sections 6; Article XII

Additional Homestead Property Tax Exemption for Specified Critical Public Services Workforce

Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to authorize the Legislature, by general law, to grant an additional homestead tax exemption for nonschool levies of up to $50,000 of the assessed value of homestead property owned by classroom teachers, law enforcement officers, correctional officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, child welfare services professionals, active duty members of the United States Armed Forces, and Florida National Guard members. This amendment shall take effect January 1, 2023.

Yes

No

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