The 2022 general election is upon us.
Tuesday, Nov. 8 will decide the balance of power in national governing bodies as well as a number of crucial local posts. As of 7 a.m. on Nov. 2, 14,354 of the Keys’ 55,183 active eligible voters had cast their ballots for the 2022 election, yielding a 26.01% voter turnout thus far.
With the Florida Keys seemingly at a tipping point on a number of issues – affordable housing, the health of our reef and nearshore waters, and rampant insurance increases, to name a few – it is now more critical than ever to make your voice heard and help decide the direction of national, state and local leadership. With that in mind, Keys Weekly aims to provide as many critical pre-election resources in one place as possible. Cue the QR codes!
Voting deadlines
Early voting: Ballots must be received by 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5 at a Monroe County early voting site (see below).
Vote by mail: Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
In person: At a Monroe County polling place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8 (see below). Please note that the deadline to register for this election has already passed (Oct. 11), so if you are not yet a registered voter, you will need to wait until the next election to vote.
Where do I vote?
Early voting: Ballots may be dropped at a Monroe County Secure Ballot Intake Station (drop box) from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Saturday, Nov. 5. Drop box locations are: 530 Whitehead St. #101, Key West; Big Pine Key Community Park, End of Sands Road, 31009 Atlantis Dr., Big Pine Key; 10015 Overseas Hwy., Marathon; 81830 Overseas Hwy., Islamorada; 102050 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo
In person: Not sure of your polling place? No problem. Visit keys-elections.org and enter your address to find the appropriate location.
WHO’S WATCHING THAT BOX?
In recent days, the Supervisor of Elections office has fielded a number of questions from concerned voters about the individuals staffing its Secure Ballot Intake Stations. Florida Statute 101.69 provides that ‘A secure ballot intake station at an office of the supervisor must be continuously monitored in person by an employee of the supervisor’s office when the secure ballot intake station is accessible for deposit of ballots.’ In fact, any supervisor of elections who leaves a drop box left unattended is subject to a $25,000 civil penalty. So say hello to your drop box workers, and please understand they are there to prevent any ‘funny business.’ Pictured are Marathon drop box workers Tom and Dave at the Marathon Supervisor of Elections Office’s intake station. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly
What’s on the ballot?
For a list of sample ballots by location, click here.
Where can I learn more about the candidates?
IN PRINT
The Keys Weekly 2022 Decision Guide has a wealth of information on state and local elections. Since the guide’s publication, a number of recorded candidate forums and Q&A entries in various editions of the Weekly have shed more light on the differences between candidates.
DECISION GUIDE, visit: https://keysweekly.com/decision-2022/
From Aug. 18 through Oct. 27, the Marathon Weekly featured a candidate Q&A section in our print editions for Marathon City Council and Key Colony Beach City Commission candidates, introducing those who qualified for the field and allowing each to answer a series of questions in their own words.
Beginning Sept. 22, the Upper Keys Weekly also featured a candidate Q&A section for the 14 individuals vying for five hotly-contested open seats on the Islamorada Village Council.
In addition to the print editions, these candidate Q&A series may be found online at keysweekly.com by visiting the Local Politics subsection of the main Marathon or Upper Keys menu tabs.
ONLINE
For a full recording of a candidate forum co-sponsored by the Marathon Weekly and Marathon Chamber of Commerce featuring candidates for Marathon City Council, U.S. House of Representatives and Florida House of Representatives, Click here.
Key West-based nonprofit voter education group Hometown hosted candidate forums on July 18 and Oct. 3, featuring candidates for local Key West races as well as U.S. House of Representatives and Florida House of Representatives – and with the Weekly’s own Key West editor Mandy Miles as a panelist.
July 18 Forum: Watch here.
Oct. 3 Forum: Watch here.
Gubernatorial candidates Ron DeSantis and Charlie Crist squared off in a single no-holds-barred debate on Oct. 24. For a full recording, click here.
