Lee County Supervisor of Elections sets qualifying period for Fort Myers Beach recall election
Lee County Supervisor of Elections Tommy Doyle took action today to set the qualifying period for the Town of Fort Myers Beach recall election for the seats of town councilmembers John King and Karen Woodson after the Town of Fort Myers Beach Council voted against setting a qualifying period for candidates yesterday. In a vote of 4-1 on Thursday, the council refused to set the qualifying period that Doyle’s office had recommended to the town for candidates to be on the ballot for the recall election.
On Friday, Doyle cited an interlocal agreement with the town that was signed in 2023 which calls for him to set the qualifying periods for the town’s elections.
Doyle said his office was working with the town this week on setting appropriate qualifying periods for the election but once the town council failed to adopt the qualifying period during its meeting yesterday, he set the dates per his duties under the interlocal agreement and in accordance with state law which mandates the time period for the election.
“Time is of the essence,” Doyle said. “There is a lot to do.”
Lee County Circuit Court Chief Judge J. Frank Porter set the date of the recall election on Wednesday for Nov. 4.
The new qualifying period for the Fort Myers Beach recall election for the seats of Karen Woodson and John King have been set by Doyle for Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. through noon on Monday, Sept. 22.
The candidate petition deadline for those seeking to gain 34 signatures in order to get on the ballot is noon on Tuesday, Sept. 16 The fee for filing through the collection of signatures is $171.02.
The filing fee and election fees for those filing between Sept. 16 through Sept. 22 without signatures will be $684.09.
The recall election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 4.
“I’m just trying to do for the voters and the people who filed the petitions so people have a chance to vote,” Doyle said. “If we don’t have a qualifying period, the candidates won’t be on the ballot. People won’t be able to vote on who to take their place (if King and Woodson are recalled).”
State law requires that a special recall election be held within 30-60 days following the date after which the supervisor of elections certifies petitions for the recall and the five days following by which candidates have an opportunity to resign before the recall.
Doyle’s office certified more than 560 signatures from petitions that had been collected by the committees to recall King and Woodson last week, setting in motion the timeframe for the election.
Lee County Circuit Judge J. Frank Porter than set the date of the special recall election for Tuesday, Nov. 4 after King and Woodson declined to resign following the five-day period after the certification of the petitions.
The council was tasked with setting the qualifying period for the special election since the normal qualifying period in a regularly-scheduled election under the town charter is 46-50 days before an election, which would fall next week. Doyle was initially seeking the dates of Monday, Sept. 15 and Tuesday, Sept. 16 as the qualifying period in order to set ballots to overseas voters in time though he believes there will still be enough time to get ballots to registered voters residing overseas. Doyle said the extended timeline will also meet a statute requirement that the qualifying period lasts five days.
Candidate qualifying will take place at the Supervisor of Elections Main Office, Melvin Morgan Constitutional Complex, 2480 Thompson St., Third Floor, Fort Myers, Florida 33901.
There will be no early voting for the recall election.
All voting will take place at the Bay Oaks Recreational Campus at 2731 Oak Street.
King and Woodson filed a lawsuit this summer seeking to stop the recall election. That case remains in Lee County Circuit Court. The town council voted in June to pay their “reasonable attorney fees” in advance to defend them against the recall.
According to Doyle, voters will be asked on the recall ballot whether to recall King or Woodson. Following the answering of those two questions, the ballot will ask voters who they want to succeed King and/or Woodson if they are recalled. Voters will choose two candidates. Depending on whether King or Woodson, or both, are recalled will determine whether the top vote-getter gains one of the seats or the top two vote-getter gains a seat.
The deadline to be registered to vote in the election of Monday, Oct. 6. The deadline to request an absentee or vote-by-mail ballot is Thursday, Oct. 23. Vote-by-mail ballots must be returned before 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
The full details and information for filing for the election and voting in the recall election can be found on the website of the Lee County Supervisor of Elections at:
https://www.lee.vote/Candidates/Town-of-Fort-Myers-Beach-Special-Recall-Election
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Fort Myers Beach Observer Editor Nathan Mayberg can be reached at NMayberg@breezenewspapers.com