Osceola County voters make history with first Hispanic sheriff
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. โ It was a win on Election night for Democrat Marco Lรณpez who defeated his no-party-affiliation challenger, Luis โTonyโ Fernandez with 67.2% of the vote to become Osceola Countyโs new sheriff. โIt wasnโt easy you know, a lot of people said I was the underdog,โ said Lรณpez, who made history becoming Osceola Countyโs first Hispanic sheriff elect. โI donโt think anyone wakes up in the morning and say: โHey, Iโm gonna make history todayโ,โ Lรณpez said the morning after Election Night. With a victory under his belt, Lรณpez replaces Russ Gibson who has served Osceola County as sheriff since January 2017. Weโre here for every citizen in Osceola County.โ
Some primary ballots never made it to mailboxes, Seminole County election supervisor says
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. โ Seminole County Elections Supervisor Chris Anderson said when mail-in ballots were mailed-out to voters before the August primary election, not all voters received them. โWe had an unusually high number of ballots, voters who were needing replacements,โ Anderson said. "The Postal Serviceโs number one priority between now and Election Day is the secure, on-time delivery of the nationโs Election Mail. We employ a robust process to ensure proper handling of all Election Mail, including ballots. For information about how the Postal Service is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, please see: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/covid-19/,โ the statement read.
Hereโs when early voting will take place in Central Florida counties
As Florida continues to report thousands of new coronavirus cases daily, Supervisor of Elections are suggesting people request a vote-by-mail ballot. For those who enjoy the traditional stroll to the polls, election experts are pointing to early voting days as a viable option for voters to make sure their voices are heard while mitigating any exposure to COVID-19. [RELATED: Things to know about voting in Central Florida during the coronavirus pandemic]Thereโs a number of races across Central Florida, so make sure to brush up on your sample ballots and check out the candidates running for office using this link. For those hoping to cast their ballots early, hereโs a list of early voting dates available by county. โWe need to social distance between everyone within check-in and the voters as they are voting,โ said Lisa Lewis, Volusia County Supervisor of Elections.