Elections Supervisors: Elections With Redrawn Districts Might Not Be Possible This Year
Monday, August 4, 2014
By: Amy Green

August 4, 2014 | WMFE, Orlando - Elections with redrawn congressional districts might not be possible this year. That's what Florida election supervisors are saying after a judge ordered Friday that the Legislature redraw two congressional districts he previously had ruled unlawful.

District 10 is represented by Republican Dan Webster of Winter Garden and district five by Democrat Corrine Brown of Jacksonville. Both districts reach into Central Florida.

Jerry Holland is president of the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections.

"We have to get the voters populated within the voter registration system for their new districts. Can we get that done in a reasonable time in order to have a primary, a second primary before the general? Right now in talking with our vendors it doesn't seem possible."

And, Holland says if there’s not enough time, elections would be pushed to 2016. The current districts would remain until then.

Leon County Circuit Judge Terry Lewis ruled the districts were unlawfully drawn to benefit Republicans. Up to 15 counties and 4 million voters in North and Central Florida are affected. 

Elections supervisors are moving ahead with congressional primaries on Aug. 26. They're urging voters to cast their ballots despite the confusion.

Lake County Supervisor of Elections Emogene Stegall says her office already has received 2,500 absentee ballots. She says elections workers there "are moving forward with our Aug. 26 primary that we have scheduled, and that's what we're doing and until we have further notice that's what we'll continue to do." 

Lewis ordered the districts redrawn by Aug. 15.