APOPKA, Fla. – Apopka voters headed to the polls on Tuesday amid allegations, a courtroom dispute, and a referendum that could limit the next mayor’s power.
Candidates include Mayor Bryan Nelson, Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore, and Apopka Commissioner Nick Nesta.
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In the last few months, the race has become more than just who wins. Nelson filed a legal challenge in January seeking to have Moore’s candidacy declared invalid, alleging she did not meet residency requirements. Moore says she rented a room inside Apopka city limits while waiting to close on her current residence.
In court on Monday, Moore asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed. The judge did not issue a ruling and instead instructed both sides to submit proposed orders by Wednesday, one day after the election. That delay means the legal question may be unresolved even after votes are counted.
Tammy Martin, an Apopka resident, told News 6 she is confident voters will head to the polls to make their voices heard despite all the back and forth between candidates.
“It’s been kind of chaotic with all of the news articles and disruptions and everything else, but I think we’ll get the right person in office,” she said. “If we don’t vote, we don’t get the right person.”
Voters were also choosing City Commission members and deciding a ballot question on whether to replace a strong-mayor system with a city manager, a change that would reduce the mayor’s power.
Rebecca Baughman has lived in Apopka for almost three decades. She went to vote on Tuesday, stressing the importance local government in communities, especially in Apopka, a city that is still growing.
“Because it’s a small town, big town, kind of in between here, I think it’s important because we need to make sure that it’s run right, because we’ve been here a long time and we’ve seen a lot of changes,” she said.
News 6 has interviewed the three candidates running for mayor in Apopka.
Polls close at 7 p.m.