Tommy Doyle has served as Lee County Supervisor of Elections since 2016 and has heard the worries espoused by his Republican primary opponent Michael “Mick” Peters and a contingent of the electorate concerned about potential voter fraud. He has heard those who think the 2020 presidential election was stolen from former President Donald Trump.

Doyle is here to tell you that election wasn’t stolen and that elections in Lee County are among the safest in the state and the country. Voter fraud, he said, is a rarity. When there is an allegation, his office looks into it and takes it seriously. But the amount of voter fraud that would have been needed to happen in the 2020 election didn’t happen, as experts and many courtrooms have all agreed since.

This primary is an open contest, meaning voters of any party or even independents can vote to choose the Republican candidate. There are no other challengers for the office.

The issue of voter fraud is the cornerstone of the campaign by Peters, who said he is also concerned about undocumented immigrants voting and even the identities of dead voters being used by voters.

Doyle said there is no evidence any of that is occurring, has occurred or will occur here. “He has nothing,” Doyle said of the allegations by Peters.

Peters, who is 65, is on the Lee County Republican Party Executive Committee. He moved to Lee County in 2011 and works as a commercial mortgage broker.

“I want the cleanest elections in Florida,” Peters said.

“Our current system is a train wreck,” he said of the electoral process. “Both parties really stink at this. I don’t know why people think Republicans can do this better than Democrats.”

Peters, who resides in Fort Myers, said he is “data-driven” and calls himself “a bean counter.”

Doyle said the most recent case that bordered on a potential misuse of a ballot in Lee County was when an elderly woman whose husband died notified his office that a vote-by-mail ballot was sent to him and returned it. Apparently trying to help his office, she signed the ballot as it was sent back with a note telling the office that her husband died.

“She was trying to help,” Doyle said.

Doyle’s office removed more than 10,000 deceased voters from the Lee County voting registration rolls this year. His office is notified by the Clerk of the Court and the Lee County Health Department every week of deceased residents.

Doyle said his office is notified by the Clerk of Courts anytime an undocumented immigrant reports for jury duty so that they can be checked to make sure they are not on a voter registration roll.

This year, about 8,000 vote-by-mail ballots were sent back to his office by the Post Office, meaning the voters no longer resided there. The ballots were never opened and the Supervisor of Elections does not forward ballots to forwarded addresses.

His office also verifies every signature on a ballot. If somebody were to open a ballot that wasn’t their own and try to fill it out, they would need to know the person’s signature, Doyle said. Voters can also update their signatures by signing an application form online. The office has a full-time staff to review signatures. In the case that a signature is rejected, a voter will be notified and have the opportunity to come to the Supervisor of Elections office and verify their signature.

The office also sends out confirmation notices to voters every election cycle to ensure they are still residing at their residence. If the Post Office notifies the Supervisor of Elections of a change in address, the voter is put on an inactive list. After two election cycles, that voter is removed from the rolls and de-registered.

Peters said he is also worried about drop boxes being potentially misused. Doyle said the drop boxes are monitored in-person. An individual is not allowed to possess more than two ballots that aren’t on their own at the drop box though they can drop off as many ballots of family members.

Doyle said election security and streamlining services to make the electoral process more efficient are his top issues.

“When I first ran for election, I promised to eliminate long lines at polling locations, protect your tax dollars, and ensure our elections are secure. I’m proud to say we’ve accomplished all those things and more,” Doyle said. “Our community has faced numerous challenges over the past few years. We’ve endured hurricanes, a pandemic, and a historic recount in 2018. In every instance I relied on my business experience, ingenuity, and outside-the-box thinking, and each time we persevered to conducted successful elections.”

Doyle said he was recently asked by a voter if the 2020 presidential election was stolen. “My reply to her was ‘voter fraud is very rare and it is usually a mistake by the voter,'” Doyle said. Lee County is one of the best in the country in protecting against voter fraud. “Massive voter fraud is false,” Doyle said. “Our elections are secure and accurate.”

• Tommy Doyle (incumbent)

Party: Republican

Age: 72

Occupation: Supervisor of Elections

Length of residence in county: Lee County native

Family: Married to Donna for 37 years and have three children: Ryan, Taylor and Lauren

Military Service: United States Air Force 1972-1975

Campaign website: VoteDoyle.com

• Michael “Mick” Peters

Party: Republican

Age: 65

Occupation: Commercial mortgage broker

Length of residence in county: Since 2011

Family: Married, wife Marge and two children

Campaign website: Mick4yourvote.com