(Start) This is the official audio sample ballot for the General Election for Alachua County Florida, November 6th, 2018.  All registered voters in Alachua County may vote on the following candidate races:   United States Senator (Vote for 1) Rick Scott REP Bill Nelson DEM Write –In Representative in Congress District 3 (Vote for 1) Ted Yoho REP Yvonne Hayes Hinson DEM Governor and Lt. Governor (Vote for 1) Ron DeSantis and Jeanette Nuñez REP Andrew Gillum and Chris King DEM Darcy G. Richardson and Nancy Argenziano REF Kyle "KC" Gibson and Ellen Wilds NPA Ryan Christopher Foley and John Tutton Jr NPA Bruce Stanley and Ryan Howard McJury NPA Write-in Attorney General (Vote for 1) Ashley Moody REP Sean Shaw DEM Jeffrey Marc Siskind NPA Chief Financial Officer (Vote for 1) Jimmy Patronis REP Jeremy Ring DEM Write-in Commissioner of Agriculture (Vote for 1) Matt Caldwell REP Nicole "Nikki" Fried DEM State Senator District 8 (Vote for 1) Keith Perry REP Kayser Enneking DEM Charles E. Goston NPA County Commissioner District 2 (Vote for 1) Marihelen Haddock Wheeler DEM Gregory Caudill LPF Scott Costello NPA Write-in Justice of the Supreme Court Shall Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson be retained in office? Yes No District Court of Appeal Shall Judge Harvey Jay of the First District Court of Appeal be retained in office? Yes No Shall Judge Stephanie Ray of the First District Court of Appeal be retained in office? Yes No Shall Judge Brad Thomas of the First District Court of Appeal be retained in office? Yes No Shall Judge Kemmerly Thomas of the First District Court of Appeal be retained in office? Yes No Shall Judge Allen Winsor of the First District Court of Appeal be retained in office? Yes No Circuit Judge 8th Judicial Circuit Group 8 (Vote for 1) David Robertson Gloria Walker County Judge Group 2 (Vote for 1) Craig DeThomasis Meshon Rawls School Board District 3 (Vote for 1) Gunnar Paulson April Barefoot Tisher Soil and Water Conservation District Group 3 (Vote for 1) Kathleen Hernandez Chris Rose II Voters in State House District 21 may also vote on: State Representative District 21 (Vote for 1) Chuck Clemons REP Jason Lee Haeseler DEM Voters in State House District 10 may also vote on: State Representative District 10 (Vote for 1) Chuck Brannan REP Ronald W. Williams II DEM Fred S. Martin NPA Merrillee Malwitz Jipson NPA All registered voters in Alachua County may vote on the following issues: No. 1 Constitutional Amendment Article VII, Section 6, Article XII, Section 37 Increased Homestead Property Tax Exemption Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to increase the homestead exemption by exempting the assessed valuation of homestead property greater than $100,000 and up to $125,000 for all levies other than school district levies. The amendment shall take effect January 1, 2019. YES NO No. 2 Constitutional Amendment Article XII, Section 27 Limitations on Property Tax Assessments Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to permanently retain provisions currently in effect, which limit property tax assessment increases on specified nonhomestead real property, except for school district taxes, to 10 percent each year. If approved, the amendment removes the scheduled repeal of such provisions in 2019 and shall take effect January 1, 2019. YES NO No. 3 Constitutional Amendment Article X, Section 29 Voter Control of Gambling in Florida This amendment ensures that Florida voters shall have the exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling by requiring that in order for casino gambling to be authorized under Florida law, it must be approved by Florida voters pursuant to Article XI, Section 3 of the Florida Constitution. Affects articles X and XI. Defines casino gambling and clarifies that this amendment does not conflict with federal law regarding state/tribal compacts. The amendment's impact on state and local government revenues and costs, if any, cannot be determined at this time because of its unknown effect on gambling operations that have not been approved by voters through a constitutional amendment proposed by a citizens' initiative petition process. YES NO No. 4 Constitutional Amendment, Article VI, Section 4 Voting Restoration Amendment This amendment restores the voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions after they complete all terms of their sentence including parole or probation. The amendment would not apply to those convicted of murder or sexual offenses, who would continue to be permanently barred from voting unless the Governor and Cabinet vote to restore their voting rights on a case by case basis. The precise effect of this amendment on state and local government costs cannot be determined, but the operation of current voter registration laws, combined with an increased number of felons registering to vote, will produce higher overall costs relative to the processes in place today. The impact, if any, on state and local government revenues cannot be determined. The fiscal impact of any future legislation that implements a different process cannot be reasonably determined. YES NO No. 5 Constitutional Amendment Article VII, Section 19 Supermajority Vote Required to Impose, Authorize, or Raise State Taxes or Fees Prohibits the legislature from imposing, authorizing, or raising a state tax or fee except through legislation approved by a two-thirds vote of each house of the legislature in a bill containing no other subject. This proposal does not authorize a state tax or fee otherwise prohibited by the Constitution and does not apply to fees or taxes imposed or authorized to be imposed by a county, municipality, school board, or special district. YES NO No. 6 Constitutional Revision Article I, Section 16, Article V, Sections 8 and 21, Article XII, New Section Rights of Crime Victims; Judges Creates constitutional rights for victims of crime; requires courts to facilitate victims' rights; authorizes victims to enforce their rights throughout criminal and juvenile justice processes. Requires judges and hearing officers to independently interpret statutes and rules rather than deferring to government agency's interpretation. Raises mandatory retirement age of state justices and judges from seventy to seventy-five years; deletes authorization to complete judicial term if one-half of term has been served by retirement age. YES NO No. 7 Constitutional Revision Article IX, Sections 7 and 8, Article X, New Section First Responder and Military Member Survivor Benefits; Public Colleges and Universities Grants mandatory payment of death benefits and waiver of certain educational expenses to qualifying survivors of certain first responders and military members who die performing official duties. Requires supermajority votes by university trustees and state university system board of governors to raise or impose all legislatively authorized fees if law requires approval by those bodies. Establishes existing state college system as constitutional entity; provides governance structure. YES NO No. 9 Constitutional Revision Article II, Section 7, Article X, Section 20 Prohibits Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling; Prohibits Vaping in Enclosed Indoor Workplaces Prohibits drilling for the exploration or extraction of oil and natural gas beneath all state-owned waters between the mean high water line and the state's outermost territorial boundaries. Adds use of vapor-generating electronic devices to current prohibition of tobacco smoking in enclosed indoor workplaces with exceptions; permits more restrictive local vapor ordinances. YES NO No. 10 Constitutional Revision Article III, Section 3, Article IV, Sections 4 and 11,Article VIII, Sections 1 and 6 State and Local Government Structure and Operation Requires legislature to retain department of veterans' affairs. Ensures election of sheriffs, property appraisers, supervisors of elections, tax collectors, and clerks of court in all counties; removes county charters' ability to abolish, change term, transfer duties, or eliminate election of these offices. Changes annual legislative session commencement date in even- numbered years from March to January; removes legislature's authorization to fix another date. Creates office of domestic security and counterterrorism within department of law enforcement. YES NO No. 11 Constitutional Revision Article I, Section 2, Article X, Sections 9 and 19 Property Rights; Removal of Obsolete Provision; Criminal Statutes Removes discriminatory language related to real property rights. Removes obsolete language repealed by voters. Deletes provision that amendment of a criminal statute will not affect prosecution or penalties for a crime committed before the amendment; retains current provision allowing prosecution of a crime committed before the repeal of a criminal statute. YES NO No. 12 Constitutional Revision Article II, Section 8, Article V, Section 13, Article XII, New Section Lobbying and Abuse of Office by Public Officers Expands current restrictions on lobbying for compensation by former public officers; creates restrictions on lobbying for compensation by serving public officers and former justices and judges; provides exceptions; prohibits abuse of a public position by public officers and employees to obtain a personal benefit. YES NO No. 13 Constitutional Revision Article X, New Section, Article XII, New Section Ends Dog Racing Phases out commercial dog racing in connection with wagering by 2020. Other gaming activities are not affected. YES NO County Referenda Children's Trust of Alachua County Authority to Levy One-Half Mill Ad Valorem Taxes In order to provide developmental, preventive, and supportive services for children, such as early learning supports and out of school enrichment programming, should an independent special district titled "The Children's Trust of Alachua County" be created and be authorized to levy an annual ad valorem tax not to exceed one-half (½) mill for 12 years? YES NO Half-Cent Sales Surtax to Improve School Facilities Shall the School Board of Alachua County levy a half-cent sales surtax to finance safety and security improvements; repair, renovation and remodeling of Board-owned schools, including modernization of classrooms, science labs and other spaces; technology; elimination of portable classrooms; new construction; land acquisition and improvement; and other school facilities projects; with oversight by an independent citizens' committee? The tax would begin January 1, 2019, and last twelve years. For the Half-Cent Tax Against the Half-Cent Tax Voters in the City of Gainesville may also vote on the following issues: Shall the Charter of the City of Gainesville be amended to create the Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority as the governing board of Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU), whose responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to, examining and establishing utility rates for all customers, and whose members shall be GRU customers, shall be diverse and representative of the community, and shall be nominated by citizens and appointed by the Gainesville City Commission? YES NO City of Gainesville Charter Amendment City Commission Elections and Terms of Office Shall the City Charter be amended to require elections for Mayor and Commissioners every other year in even-numbered years coinciding with statewide elections, rather than every year, beginning with the regular election in 2022; and to change the terms of office of the Mayor and City Commissioners from the current 3-year terms commencing in May to 4-year terms commencing in January 2023; and to provide transitional terms of office; as proposed by ordinance no. 160876? YES NO Voter in the City of Archer may also vote on the following issue: Approval of Charter Revision This amendment corrects a requirement the City Commission read an ordinance in full prior to adoption rather than by title only as allowed in Florida Statute Section 166.041. Do you vote to adopt the revised Charter of the City of Archer, Florida? YES NO This concludes the official sample ballot, please remember, Voting is as Easy as 1,2,3 … Vote by Mail, Vote at one of our Early Voting Sites, or Vote At the Polls on Election Day.   Vote by Mail: To have a Vote by Mail Ballot mailed to you, please call our office at 352-374-5252 no later than 5pm on October 31st, the sixth day prior to the election. All ballots must be returned to the Supervisor of Election Office no later than 7pm on November 6th, Election Day. Your ballot may not count if your signature does not match the signature on your voter record. You may update your signature at any time by submitting a completed voter registration form to our office. These forms are available on our website, or at many locations in the county including our office. Please mark the box for record update, and remember, all signature updates must be received by our office by the beginning of canvassing to be used for this election.   Early Voting: There will be six Early Voting sites available for this election. The Supervisor of Elections office at, 515 N Main St. Gainesville, The Millhopper Branch Library Location at 3145 NW 43rd St. Gainesville, the Tower Road Branch Library Location at 3020 SW 75th St, Gainesville, and our three new locations: Legacy Park Multipurpose Center at 15400 Peggy Rd. Alachua, Melrose United Methodist Church at 5807 Hampton St. Melrose, and the J. Wayne Reitz Union at 655 Reitz Union Drive, UF Campus. Early Voting will begin on Monday October 22nd, and end on Saturday, November 3rd. Each site will be open daily from 9am-6pm.   Election Day: Voting at the Polls. On Tuesday, November 6th, the polls will be open from 7am-7pm. Please remember, Florida Law requires that on Election Day you vote in the precinct of your residence, and that you provide a picture and signature ID or you will need to vote a provisional ballot. For a list of polling locations, please visit our website at www.VoteAlachua.com If you have any questions, or need more information, please call the Supervisor of Elections office at 352-374-5252. (End)