Municipal elections for the cities of Dade City and San Antonio are scheduled for June 30.
The local elections — which will decide various city commission seats — originally were scheduled for April, but were delayed due to COVID-19.
The Dade City voting precinct is at First Baptist Church Dade City, 37511 Church Ave., in Dade City.
San Antonio’s precinct is at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 12110 Main St., in San Antonio.
Polls for both races will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Poll workers at each precinct will be following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines of social distancing, mask-wearing and sanitation, Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley told The Laker/Lutz News.
“Anyone that does show up for election day voting, there will be those safety precautions in place. We’re not expecting a huge turnout, but for voters that do show up, they can expect to get out of there rather quickly, and we’ll take care of them,” Corley said.
For those cautious about heading to the polls amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the elections supervisor suggests voting by mail instead. Request a vote-by-mail ballot by calling (800) 851-8754, or in writing to P.O. Box 300, Dade City, FL 33526. Vote-by-mail ballots are due back in the elections’ office by 7 p.m., election day.
Whether it’s a polling place or via mail, Corley emphasized the importance for city residents to cast a ballot in the local elections.
“These municipal offices are the closest to the people and traditionally have the lowest turnout, and it should be the opposite,” Corley said. “It’s the old adage, ‘If you don’t vote, you can’t complain,’ so I would encourage all voters to come out and get their voice heard.”
Here is a closer look at the elections:
Dade City
Six candidates are running for three open seats on the Dade City Commission — for Groups 3, 4 and 5.
In Group 3, two-term incumbent Jim Shive is facing challenger Matthew Wilson. Shive is a retired government employee. Wilson is a data entry clerk for the United Parcel Service.
Groups 4 and 5 seats will see fresh faces, as Nicole Deese Newlon and Eunice Penix are not seeking re-election. Newlon served one four-year term after she won in 2016, while Penix has held her seat since 1993.
Vying for Newlon’s Group 4 seat are Ann Cosentino and Knute Nathe.
Cosentino owns a communications/branding consulting firm. Nathe is an attorney with McCLain Alfonso P.A.
Christopher King and Normita Woodard are facing off for Penix’s Group 5 seat. King is the founder of The Gentleman’s Course Inc., a local youth mentorship charity. Woodard is a secretary at Lacoochee Elementary School.
San Antonio
Five candidates are vying to fill three open seats on the San Antonio City Commission.
Incumbents Elayne Bassinger and Sarah Schrader are running and Joseph Couture, John Vogel and Dacia Wadsworth Mitchell fill out the field.
Unlike the head-to-head matchups of other municipalities, the top three overall vote-getters earn commission seats. San Antonio commissioners serve two-year terms.
For more voting information, call the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections office at (800) 851-8754 or (352) 521-4302, or visit PascoVotes.gov.
Published June 24, 2020
