Voters have options for making voices heard

Longboat Key town commissioners decide whether your taxes go up or down. In the past year, commission decisions have determined everything from where you can park your car to whether you’ll have sand on your beach. Commissioners even will make key decisions that could affect whether you can rebuild your property and who will answer your 911 calls.

Despite the myriad ways in which commissioners touch the lives of citizens, voter turnout for town elections is consistently less than 50%.

By comparison, Longboat Key had voter turnout of 85.62% and 83.32% in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, respectively.

The March 10 general municipal election ballot features two contested races: Jack Daly and Larry Grossman are vying for the District 4 seat, and Gene Jaleski is challenging incumbent Phill Younger for one of two at-large seats on the commission. All town voters can cast ballots in all commission races.
Despite typically low turnout for town elections, there are plenty of ways to make your vote count.

To vote absentee/by mail, the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections, votemanatee.com, or Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections, sarasotavotes.com, must receive your request by 5 p.m. six days before an election — i.e. by 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 4 for the town’s election.

For an absentee ballot to be counted, the appropriate Supervisor of Elections office must receive it by 7 p.m. on Election Day. The U.S. Postal Service does not forward absentee ballots, so it’s important to confirm that your Supervisor of Elections Office has your up-to-date address.

Early voting will take place for both Sarasota and Manatee county voters from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, March 2 through Saturday, March 7, at Longboat Key Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road.

Election day voting hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Town Hall for Sarasota County voters and Longboat Island Chapel, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive, for Manatee County voters.