Jacksonville Election Advisory Panel Meeting - July 8, 2026
Jacksonville Election Advisory Panel Meeting - July 8, 2026
The Election Advisory Panel met on July 8, 2026, to discuss vote-by-mail renewal rates, an update from the Supervisor of Elections Office, polling place changes, and the eligibility of elected officials to serve on the panel. No formal votes were taken.
Public Comments & Testimony
- April Hall Lloyd (address on file) urged the Duval County Supervisor of Elections to mail physical vote-by-mail renewal notices to previously enrolled voters, especially seniors. She stated that of the 88,579 Duval County voters who signed up for vote-by-mail in 2024, only 22,000 have submitted a new request for the 2027 municipal elections. She noted that Sarasota County maintained its vote-by-mail levels by sending physical notices, and criticized reliance on digital outreach due to skepticism among seniors.
Discussion Items
- Vote-by-Mail Renewal Outreach: Justin Jicalone, Chief Deputy Supervisor of Elections, reported that as of that morning, there were 24,094 total vote-by-mail requests (22,359 domestic, 1,735 uniformed/overseas). He stated that outreach via phone calls and emails had doubled the renewal rate among 2024 voters, but no large-scale mailing was planned. When asked about demographic data for seniors, he did not have that number available.
- Voter Registration Statistics: Jicalone reported 642,956 active voters in Duval County: 235,769 Republicans, 241,122 Democrats, 142,309 non-party affiliates, and 23,756 other parties.
- State Legislation: House Bill 991 (affecting election day procedures, effective January 1, 2027) and House Bill 461 (allowing student poll workers to earn community service hours) were discussed. HB 461 is on the governor’s desk; the SOE is ready to implement once signed.
- Primary Election Preparations: Jicalone outlined changes: precinct boundaries will be reduced from 160 to 159; two temporary polling place changes due to construction; early voting from August 7 to August 16, 2026, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 24 sites; sample ballot mailing begins July 29; new “I Voted” stickers for vote-by-mail and first-time voters.
- Poll Worker Training: Panel members commented positively on the new online training, noting its interactive design and accuracy, though one member reported a minor technical glitch.
- Old Business – Eligibility of Elected Officials on the Panel: Staff advised that city council members and school board members cannot serve on the Election Advisory Panel because they hold public office. The panel noted that a current member who is running for city council would be notified if elected.
Key Outcomes
- No formal decisions or votes were taken. The panel received updates and discussed operational matters. The next meeting was not scheduled but public comments were noted.
Meeting Transcript
And then you would do a roll call. Yeah, everybody introduced themselves around the table. Okay. Um let's introduce ourselves, sir. Um Ed Williams. Gloria Einstein. Random Russell Council Research. Justin Jick Lone, Supervisor of Elections Office. And we have two members of the public who have signed cards and will be speaking. Okay, so first is April Hall Lloyd. And state your name and address for the record, please. Just make sure to push the button on there. Good afternoon. My name is April Hall Lloyd. My address is on file. I am here to speak about the Duval County elections officials. Um vote by mail renewal. We so for the people that voted in 2024, their vote by mail has expired, and it won't be renewed unless they make action to do so. Of the 88,579 Duval County voters who signed up for vote by mail in 2024, only 22,000 have submitted a new request. As you know, Florida's law now requires that voters submit a new vote by mail request for every general election cycle. Previous vote by mail requests expired after new November 2024 election and will expire again December 31st. Anyone planning to vote by mail in the 2027 municipal elections must re-enroll before February 2025, February 2025, 2027. That is why the coalition of civil rights groups is urging the Duval County Supervisor of Elections to mail renewed renewal notices to every voter previously enrolled. In the Tampa Bay region, Sarasota has managed to maintain their vote by mail level as it was in 2024, with the spokesperson for them attributing that to physical vote by mail renewal notices being sent to all voters. After the local civil rights groups pressed in 2022, Duvall's then supervisor of elections mailed 105 renewal notices in January 2023. And a few short months later in April, voters were enrolled. 50,000 voters were re enrolled. Current supervisor of elections, Jerry Holland is no longer planning to send physical notices. Instead, he has advised us he's relying on texts and emails. But many voters, especially our seniors, are skeptical of digital outreach as a potential scam. Now is not the time to reduce outreach. We urge Supervisor Holland to mail renewal notices to all previously enrolled voters and consider sending out a notice to every voter, or at least the ones over the age of 65 for both the 2026 and 2027 election. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Holley. Do we discuss this now or do we um as we are republic? Generally for public caller. So I'm sorry. Oh, okay. All right. Okay. We do not have a report. Thankfully obvious. Um we can't approve the minutes. Is there any discussion of the minutes, however, that we could do? Okay. Okay. We did a lot. Uh it it's really worthwhile that you send these out, um, and provide them. Um, and I guess you're giving the SOE updates, all right.
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