…title
ITEM: ORDINANCE NO. 2019-10 (AMENDING THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION DATE AND QUALIFYING PERIOD FOR 2020 MUNICIPAL ELECTION)
AN ORDINANCE OF WELLINGTON, FLORIDA’S COUNCIL AMENDING THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION DATE AND QUALIFYING PERIOD FOR THE 2020 MUNICIPAL ELECTION; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
REQUEST: Approval of Ordinance No. 2019-10 amending the date of the election and qualifying period for Wellington’s 2020 Municipal Election on second reading.
…body
EXPLANATION: Ms. Wendy Sartory Link, the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, has requested that all municipalities move the dates of their municipal election to March 17, 2020, the date of the Presidential Preference Primary; and to also move their qualifying period to allow sufficient time for her to comply with Florida Statutes Section 101.62, which requires that vote-by-mail ballots be sent no later than 45 days before each presidential preference primary election, primary election and general election; and to each absent uniformed services voter and to each overseas voter who has requested a vote-by-mail ballot.
Section 9.D. - Elections - “Schedule for General Elections” of the Village of Wellington’s Charter provides that “the regular village election shall be the second Tuesday in March of each election year”; and section 101.75 Florida Statutes, provides that the governing body of a municipality may, by ordinance, move the date of a municipal election to a date concurrent with any statewide or countywide election
Section 9.C. - Elections - “Qualifying for Office” of the Village of Wellington’s Charter provides “that any resident of the Village who wishes to become a candidate for a village elective office shall qualify with the Village Clerk no sooner than noon on the last Tuesday in January nor later than noon on the second Tuesday in February of the year in which the election is to be held”; and section 100.3605 of the Florida Statutes permits municipal governments, by ordinance, to change the dates for qualifying and for election of members of the governing body of the municipality.
Ordinance No. 2019-10 amends the date of the Municipal Election to be held on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 and the qualifying period for the 2020 Wellington Municipal Election to be held as follows:
Qualifying Period for candidates will be from noon on Tuesday, December 3, 2019 to noon on Tuesday, December 17, 2019.
Nothing in Ordinance No. 2019-10 is intended to create a permanent change to the Village Charter. Following the March 17, 2020 election, and any subsequent runoff, the date and qualifying period for Wellington municipal elections shall thereafter comply with the Village Charter.
Ordinance No. 2019-10 was approved August 27, 2019 on first reading.
BUDGET AMENDMENT REQUIRED: NO
PUBLIC HEARING: YES QUASI-JUDICIAL: NO
FIRST READING: YES SECOND READING: YES
LEGAL SUFFICIENCY: YES
FISCAL IMPACT: N/A
WELLINGTON FUNDAMENTAL: Responsive Government
RECOMMENDATION: Approval of Ordinance No. 2019-10 amending the Municipal Election date and the qualifying period for Wellington’s 2020 Municipal Election on second reading.